What am I doing now?

This is my “now” page inspired by Derek Sivers. It answers “what I’m doing now?“. My life, projects and priorities. I post an update here every 1-3 months.

What’s up as of December 2025?

Standing at the dancing fountains of Blenheim Palace in mid-December, watching coloured lights bounce off water while my children chased shadows, I realised my travel app had measured everything about 2025 except this. Twenty thousand miles tracked. Six trips logged. But the moments that actually taught me something? Those don’t show up in year-end stats. This month reminded me that curiosity beats judgement, that pausing reveals more than rushing, and that British splendour, when done right, is still worth the price of admission. Here’s what December looked like.

🏰 Following the Yellow Brick Road

We took the kids to Blenheim Palace's Palace of Oz this month. The State Rooms were transformed into scenes from the Wizard of Oz – walking the Yellow Brick Road through the Munchkin lands, the Dark Forest, all the way to the Emerald City. The kids loved spotting Dorothy and the gang.

Britain used to be famous for events like this. Everything tip-top, highest standards. Lately, you notice the quality slipping across services everywhere. But Blenheim reminded me that when the British want to do festive properly, that old splendor is still there. Yes, it's pricey. But the quality matches.

The dancing fountains stopped us in our tracks. "Let It Go" synchronized with multiple fountains, water choreographed to every note. We stood there longer than planned, just watching. Not because we were tired – though we were – but because some moments you need to absorb fully. The kids mesmerized by the water. Us remembering why we make the effort for experiences like this.

✈️ Collecting Miles and Memories

As you know, I like travelling a lot. I take any occasion to travel. I also like to be organized, so I want all my travel data in one place. That's where TripIt comes in. It pulls all your trip details – flights, hotels, car rentals – into one timeline. Forward your confirmation emails and it builds your itinerary automatically. I switched when TripCase shut down and moved years of historical trips over.

The app sent me my 2025 stats this month. Six trips, 43 days, 20,102 miles. Six countries, 13 cities. Apparently I'm only 4,799 miles from traveling around the world – though that's a funny way to measure it.

Here's what made me smile: TripIt's top 5 most-visited cities globally are New York, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. I've been to all of them. But in 2025? Only New York. The numbers tell one story. The memories tell another. Those 43 days included Blenheim Palace with the kids, family moments, conference connections. Sometimes the best trips aren't about adding miles.

✍️ Being Curious, Not Judgemental

December's newsletter came from a Christmas carol rehearsal gone sideways. My son couldn't stop laughing at "fell down on their face" – he saw it as a Jiu Jitsu face-plant, exactly what we practice together. My first instinct was impatience. My pause was curiosity.

That shift – from perception to perspective – became the whole piece. Perception is what we fear we're hearing. Perspective is what's actually happening. One creates tension. The other creates connection.

I'm finding this framework everywhere now. Code reviews that feel personal. Stand-ups that get tense. That uncle at holiday dinner. The question "help me understand where you're going with this" changes the entire dynamic. Ted Lasso was onto something with "be curious, not judgemental."

#blog

This page is inspired by Derek Sivers “now page” movement.

Updated: 17 Dec 2025