That's a Wrap! Goodbye 2025 | A Year in Review

K Florence
Jan 1
9 min read

I figured this was a good picture of me to send off the year with, lol, it's crazy and silly but also me. This is what I want 2025 to be remembered as: the year I started to find myself.

And with that, the 2025 season comes to an end.

<clinks fancy looking glass filled with grape juice and twirls in pajamas>

What an adventure!

What a story this past year has been. I know at this point you have probably heard this lots, but ’25 really felt fast. It zoomed by, the fastest year I have ever lived, my last year as a teen, and a year where I learned a lot.

I have been blessed beyond measure this year, in ways that are hard to describe and ways that I can hold. I have been faced with rejection and challenges, but look at me, hehe, I made it!

<smiles as I take a sip from my glass and sit down across from you, in a big soft chair>

This last year has been full of lessons learned, memories made, and books both written and read. It bursts with both joys and frustrations, fantasy and nonfiction.

<gestures to the stacks of books and journals piled around>

I experienced the senior slump and am still getting out of it. I learned that life goes fast, and if you blink, it will be gone. But I also learned to enjoy the little things. To treasure the laugh of a friend, the stunning sunset, or simply the sound of keys clicking on a keyboard.

Not to mention my love for coffee <3 the way it smells and tastes and everything about it hehe.

<giggles and motions to the coffee stains on a blanket>

But now we come to a point in which I look back reviewing and reflecting on 2025, a thing both happy and sad.

Another year has passed, another year ahead.

Books

I already did a post about my favorite books I read in 2025. But I wanted to review all my stats. This is very exciting for me because I can see how much I actually read and what style and all of this exciting things.

Favorite book: Rune by Victoria McCombs

Favorite Author: Victoria McCombs

Favorite quotes:

“Listen, and this is for all of you. it’s been a long time since I courted anyone but I don’t think the principles have changed. You just love them, simple as that. you are all daughters of an emperor. Men will want to pursue you. But any man can dress you in jewels, escort you to the amphitheater, and show you off to the world. You find the one who will take off his shoes, run through the fields, and stomp through the creeks with you. for it is easy to be a loving man when the world watches. Find the man who loves you even if no one sees.” — Rogue Secreto by Victoria McCombs

“I love you, I have loved you, and I will love you.” – Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

“My ghost will not associate with your ghost.” – Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

“Every brutal act is born of love.” – Fearless by Laurn Roberts

“My love for you is not confined to time, nor fate. It is a love that I will hold with me for an eternity, which is why I am not afraid. I swear to you that I will always be yours, even when I am not.” – Foxglove by Adalynn Grace

Least favorite book: Selecting a President by Elanor Clift

Favorite schoolbook: Miracles by Eric Metaxas

How many books I read: 291

Fiction: 268

Nonfiction: 23

Month I read the most: February at 49 books

Average star rating: 3.4

Pages read: 101,202

Average page per hour reading speed: 100 pph (Pages Per Hour)

Writing

Wow, my writing was crazyyy this year! Full of ups and downs and lots of drafts and some very exciting things. Things that made me happy and things that frustrated me and taught me lessons, and I wrote amazing stories. Life was great.

Projects worked on: 14

Okay, hear me out! I worked on some amazing things and had some great ideas. I got halfway through three books to finish in 2026 and plotted a series. I started a few stand-alone novels and am working on a project I hope to finish by May 1! My favorite projects I worked on this year were: Project Venom, Project Carson, Project Raven, and Project Vala

Full drafts completed: 4

Yes all four drafts were rewrites but hey, a draft is a draft no matter what!

Words written: 432,964

Blog post published: 16

Subscribers: 98

I also submitted Project: Raven for content and line edits this year. I got lots of fantastic feedback from some amazing people in the industry of writing <3 and am so grateful for their support.

I worked with Katelin Cummins for my developmental edit she was terrific to work with and truly grew both my craft and my love for writing. She was kind and gave good, honest feedback.

I also worked with Glory Writers for the Line edit of my manuscript. I will be working with them again in the future, I can’t tell you what an amazing bunch of ladies they are <3

I went to a writing conference in August with my mom, I drove all the way there and through a wild rainstorm to! I had a blast and meet some amazing people <3 shoutout to Bella, Kara, Red, and Victoria! There was dancing and games and lots of fun! I even got to cosplay Raven, my character from my book hehe

And last but not least, I started the querying process. This was scary and continues to be scary as I get rejections and kind refusals. This isn’t because my book is bad, getting turned down is part of the prosses of getting a Literary Agent. As we head into the new year, I will still strive towards this goal, hopefully next year's wrap-up will have me receiving an offer from an agent!

Life

Talk about wild, that is what this year was, I mean wild. Full of ups and downs and adventures! Hehe I will keep my biggest highlight for the bottom ;)

· We went and saw The Lion King play, it was fantastic! I think it was definitely my favorite play I have seen. I will not say too much because I don’t want to spoil it, but it was amazing! And the music was fantastic!!

· I turned 17!! <takes a deep bow> this was an interesting birthday, mostly because I had it by myself not a double with my brother, and it is my last birthday as a minor. I didn't do really anything special just hung out at home and chilled, reading and writing <3

· We traveled to see our aunt who lives in North Carolina. This was so much fun, lots of driving but we got to travel over the mountain and I even saw some elk. The Smokies are very pretty that time of year with all the ice.

· I had a big book haul that I had been saving up for! I bought over 20 books and many of those books I got were five stars or very highly rated! and on top of this I got to re organize my bookshelf <giggles while mom sighs and rolls her eyes>

· I was invited to perform for the WSKL award banquet, which gave out the 2024 state placings. I was one of a handful people that preformed. It was terrifying because I was on stage in front of everyone and the whole room was filled with 200+ people, all martial arts, and watching my every move. It was stressful but so so much fun! I also competed in the tournament the next day and got two medals. and yes <hair toss> I did spry my hair with gold glitter and paint my nails gold hehehe

· I went to prom! My cousin invited me to go with her, and we had a blast. I danced and sang to the music and got all pretty in a poofy, sparkly purple dress. Of course, I tried on a bunch, but that one was my favorite. A close second was a sparkly red dress that was stunning and shed glitter everywhere I walked. and I love leaving a trail of glitter! and the thing that runs through my head when I am wearing it goes something like 'glitter poofy glitter poofy GLITTER POOFY!!!'

· There were lots of pretty sunsets, all different colors in 2025. I tried to snap a few pictures of them, but I don’t think I did them justice. You can’t ever quite capture the magic of sunset. Hopefully in 2026 I can snap some more pictures and have more sunsets to remember <3

· The spring blossoms on the trees were absolutely breathtaking this year also they were pure white and a pail pink and just stunning

· I went to the beach! I don’t like swimming, but I like lying in the sun and reading, <pretends to lean back and relax> really tho it was so much fun to attempt to get a tan (no matter how small that tan is) and read books on the beach with the sound of lapping waves and a fancy drink like Black Rifle Coffee. I also laid in the backyard some and read which was nice hehe

· I went to a Christian youth conference!! I can’t tell you how much fun I had on this trip I could talk about it for ages <bounces with excitement and giggles> I walked the streets of New Orleans – I didn’t really enjoy walking Burbon Street though; there were way too many people both normal and sketchy. – I held an alligator, flew on five planes (three there two back) went to bible studies, almost got heat stroke more then once, grew my relationships with the different people from our youth group, zipline over the swamp, went on a graveyard tour, and went to the Superdome to worship God as 20,000 youth.

· I drove down all by myself to see my brother at college!! This was a lot of fun to have out with him and see were he takes his classes <3 I love my brother a lot and to see and learn about all the cool things he is learning was amazing. we also hiked to see a waterfall!

· I got my senior pictures taken! As I have talked about before, this was a lot of fun for me. Especially because a good friend of mine, Michelle, took them <3 she made it so much fun.

· I dressed up as my book character for Halloween! It was so much fun to do this I have gone as Raven before but not Raven dressed in a shredded ball gown with a crown and red lips hehehe I think I got the slightly mad look I was going for. <twirls in DIY costume> fun fact I made the skirt myself, I even put each little piece of glitter on it.

· I went on a work trip with my mom to Texas! I took two flights there and two flights back, I don’t like flying so this was a big deal to me. I learned a lot about tec and I.T. things I tried some amazing food and my on my there was this pizza that we had that I would LOVE to eat again some time hehehe

· I injured my shoulder in late 2024. And it was really bad, but I ignored it <pauses while everyone rolls their eyes> yes, I know I should have gotten it looked at, especially because Icouldn’t move my arm for a good two + weeks after I hurt it. The pain went away for a little while but reared its ugly head this summer, and with moving and lifting things on the farm,, it hurt a lot. We went to many doctors and tried lots of things that didn’t work, in fact made it worse. But I started a new Physical Therapy, and it seems to be working. But it is very painful. The girl doing my PT is ripping apart my scar tissue and then working on healing it back the way it needs to be. And dry needling isn’t a piece of cake either. But look at me, I am still here!

· I started and looked at colleges and have been accepted into a few <3 when this progresses further I will tell yall were I end up going ;) I have an idea but I don’t want to say anything till it is all worked out <3

~ And now for the moment you have all been waiting for <jumps up and drags someone into the room> I got a boyfriend!!! <happy giggles and dances> I was very surprised and pleased when he asked me out and told me he liked me, but I thought he was cute, and liked him to. <blushes and hides> His name is Cade and you will probably be hearing a lot more about him and our adventures together lol. But he is sweet and kind and smart, I am a very very lucky girl to have him in my life.

we have also already had lots of adventures, pizza date, hunting, going out for fast food, we drove to the city and went shopping, watched two movies, baked, and played games. Hehehe and he reads to <happy giggles> I won the boyfriend lottery hehehe