2025 in a nutshell

Having indulged in some well-deserved laziness (with some indispensable breaks for physical exercise), I see no reason in being particularly creative and will rather look back at the passing year, which I believe was rather tough for me.

The first days were marked by the relationship break-up coming into effect. A year past that decision I am strongly convinced it has been the best I could do and despite not being lucky to get involved in a new, reasonable relationship, averting a lifelong misery and living a bit of lonely, yet not lonesome life has been a preferable option.

Dating-wise, I have been confronted with a phenomenon which has been widely described, i.e. women in their 30s considering being a relationship as an option to be chosen only if its benefits outweigh the expense of giving up on their independence. Threshold for mating has been raised tremendously high, with my odds of raising a family drastically(?) decreasing.

Health-wise, my recovery has been sustainable, with some natural minor ups and downs. I do take care of my spine, have a catalogue of dos and don’ts with long sitting being the activity more detrimental than carrying heavy loads. I badly fear the relapse of health crisis involving an awful pain and being bedridden, as I was in September 2024, so each time I feel a pain similar to the one 16 months ago, everything recedes into the background and I focus on exercising several times a day.

2025 was not abundant in travels, for several reasons. I have not flown a plane since October 2023. I have only ventured for nearly a week into Polish mountains and then for a weekend. I miss journeys a bit, as exploring new places and being away from home cleanses mind perfectly. But on the other hand, travelling has become a religion or one of several ways of filling existential void.

Work-wise, after 15 years in banking I have suffered a burnout (it seems I did not bother to commit it to the blog), but despite this, or in attempt to break away from this, I have been promoted. Currently I am finding my way around new duties, however still trying to keep my head above water, rather than comfortably floating on the surface. Hope things shape up over the next months, however my faith will likely be put to the test by the oncoming ownership change (my employer bound to change hands in January).

Politics-wise, in the run-up to the presidential election, I was zealously following the current affairs, hoping for the best, realising the worst was more probable than the polls suggested. My worries have materialised. Although I seemed to have been prepared for Mr Nawrocki’s victory, I needed to get over it. Since then I have been somewhat withdrawn from politics, focusing on other areas of life.

Charity-wise, my sixth stint in Szlachetna Paczka might have been the last one. I have not taken this decision, but give myself half a year to mull over it. If I give up on being a volunteer, I will be confronted with reinventing myself in the last quarter of the year. I will need to focus more on myself and searching for a meaning in life, even if the reality puts paid to my plans and hopes.

In recent days when my mind was slightly turned off, I repeatedly recalled the morning of 7 November 2025 when I got paralysed. There was a moment I feared it could be my last moments alive. I had a lust of for life, but it was more about a survival instinct than realising there were things I would not do if I passed away then. I thought about be parents’ grief, my friends, unfinished things at work and at Szlachetna Paczka. Several weeks after that I realise I need to reach out for more joy in life and take care of myself. And I wish the same to you.

October 2025 - weather recap

Seemingly, October 2025 in Warsaw appeared to be a cold and depressingly autumnal one. In fact, temperature-wise it has been perfectly normal, with mean temperature of +8.7C, exactly at the par with long-term (1991-2020) average. Perception of many has been shaped by a series of eight warm Octobers in a row between 2017 and 2024, with mean monthly temperatures ranging from +9.6C (2021) to +11.3C (2019).

The recent October was indeed a rainy one, with monthly rainfall totalling to 68.7 millimetres, vs. long-term average precipitation of 40.2 millimetres The blessed rain (171% of long-term average) has been a drop in the ocean in terms of solving the problem of drought, but we are keeping fingers crossed for next wet months, preferably for a snowy winter. Of note are thunderstorms with heavy, yet short downpours which smashed Warsaw on 26 October 2025 and 30 October 2025. Such phenomena happen very rarely at this time of year.

As the October was rainy and cloudy, temperature fluctuations were low, hence cold afternoons were offset by warm nights and mornings.

We had two frosty days in October (note the absence of sub-zero temperatures in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024), with the first frost being the earliest since 2001. Month-time low of -1.2C was measured on 3 October 2025. The first days of the month were some 5 Celsius degrees colder than long-term average for those specific days.

Month-time high of +18.9C was reported on 23 October 2025, during a short spell of golden autumn. It was the first time since 2010 when the maximum temperature in October was lower than +20C.

Forecasters claim early November will be making up for the lack of above-average temperatures in October, but what is seen in the weather predictions by no means extraordinary for this time of year. In the benchmark period of 1991-2020, the average November's highest temperature stood at +14.8C.

To refresh your memory, in recent two decades we had several spells of November warmth:
+15.5C on 8 November 2022,
+16.0C on 3 November 2020,
+16.5C on 4 November 2019,
+19.2C on 2 November 2018,
+15.8C on 8 November 2015,
+18.6C on 6 November 2014,
+15.7C on 3 November 2013,
+17.2C on 14 November 2010,
+16.9C on 1 November 2008.

Update: today temperatures topped in Warsaw at +16.8C, making it the warmest November afternoon since 7 years.

2024 comes to an end

A concise year-end summary. This time writing does not come easy to me, as I need to bring together some thoughts, cope with clashing emotions and resolve something.

2024 was a first full year of living with somebody under one roof. This is not the right moment for any stories of how we got along (or not) with each other over that period. I once signalled the relationship is not a bed of roses. Now I can assert it is full of spikes and the roses have withered.

In February I started out a new job for the same employer. I followed my ex-boss and joined his new team. Upsides: more reasonable workload, jumping back on a learning curve, slightly higher pay. Downsides: at times monotonous transactions, being tied up in corporate politics and administrative stuff. For some time I will not seek a new position inside the bank (by March 2027 I am bound by company car repayments on preferential terms, with high penalties if I terminated the contract before its maturity). I shall give myself some more time to verify if work in that team gives me sufficient self-fulfilment and satisfaction.

In early spring I got my vehicle upgraded. So far my Skoda Octavia has covered over 10,000 kilometres, almost nearly in long-distance journeys. I am generally content with the new car, despite electronics going bonkers (common glitch in contemporary cars) and some minor defects, which I need to sum up and make a warranty claim to have them fixed.

The event which has taken its toll most on me were my health problems with the lumbar spine. Being immobilised was a traumatic experience. Currently I still have some aches in my spine, but the memory of days when the pain was so acute that a walk to the toilet was a journey of a lifetime ensures I find no excuses not to exercise at least once a day.

Travel-wise, the trip to USA did not materialise due to aforementioned health problems. This was supposed to be the only major trip in 2024, so other travels were less frequent, shorter and rather local, with Czech Republic and Slovakia being the only destinations abroad.

Wishing you all guys all the best in 2025. Keep healthy and take care of yourselves!

2022 in a nutshell

Christmas, finally the time of rest, serenity, days of carefree mind, but also the end of year, customarily the time of summaries, drawing in.

2022 was a quite memorable year for me. In Poland it started off with a huge mess around the tax system reform, called Polski Ład (the Polish deal or the Polish order, or actually disorder). The modification turned out to be a spectacular botch-up making the headlines for a few weeks, until 23 February 2022, when some of us still hoped the military conflict could be averted.

On 24 February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. I saved first ten days of the war to posterity. I believe such notes make up the biggest value of blogging. Now, as I am writing the post, I can bring back the shock and commotion of those days. The war keeps going on and most Poles seem to have come to terms with it, which is sad, yet natural response to a critical situation.

Economy-wise, the topic of the year was inflation, predicted well in advance, materialising harshly and affecting mostly the poorest, for who dwelling upkeep and nutrition expenses make up the biggest portions of their budgets. The price level spike has been handled quite leniently by the Polish central bank, consequently we enjoy the lowest real interest world in the civilised world, somewhat below -10% (NBP benchmark rate is 6.75%, which CPI stood at 17.4% in November 2022).

As virtually all pandemic-related restrictions were lifted, I holidayed three times in 2022 – I went to the seaside on my own with my bike in May, then flew with my friends to Sardinia in late August / early September and in early November I visited Budapest with my girlfriend.

Besides, I drove twice to Wisła, where my girlfriend has her second flat, in August and then in October. I am also setting off there on Wednesday for nearly two weeks (next post due on 8 January).

In early summer I experienced the toughest depression episode in my lifetime. At first I thought it was an autistic burnout and just the effect of being somewhat overwhelmed by excessive workload, my parents’ problems with health, ups and downs in romantic relationship issues and war-related fatigue. I thought I would cope with the burnout, yet things were getting worse and lousy mood evolved into a full-blown depression. The “happiness pills” began to work around September, but in July I decided to take up therapy sessions which I should finish in January. The therapy has set me back a lot, but it was worth it, although it might not prevent another relapse of the disease.

Love-wise, I installed Tinder in March 2022, to go out with one girl for a month, give up on her. Then, upon deleting the account on the app and the very app, in June I met a girl with who I had paired up on Tinder. I thought we were anything, but a perfect match, but she carried on trying to pick me up. We met for the second and third time and it clicked. We have already had some crises, we have overcome them moved forward. Surprisingly, after being on a verge of a break-up a month ago, out relationship is stronger than before.

I keep fingers crossed for a better tomorrow. May 2023 bring us all health and joy and keep troubles at bay!

2020 finally is over

Customarily, turn of the year is a time for summaries, a time to have a look at the quirkiest year in the lifetime of probably all readers.

The hottest topic in 2020, which dominated news headlines and turned lives of all of us upside down was the COVID-19 pandemic. As it was approaching the gates of Poland (officially, since I believe the first cases were active before 4 March 2020), I named it a classic example of a black swan. At first, we feared the unknown. That resulted in strict social discipline, which, with time and growing fatigue with restrictions, soon waned. We have learnt to live with the awareness of the virus and have developed the ability to shrug it off. The loosened approach to the allegedly retreating virus was, predictably, one of major causes why the second wave was in Poland quite deadly, but has taught us little anyway. To save those bleak days for posterity, I have kept records of the pandemic in a form of a diary (currently published in bi-weekly intervals) and will continue until the vaccines hopefully help take the strain off the health service and bring us back to normalcy.

In the personal life, this was the year I got familiar with Tinder. After 10 failed attempts I found a girlfriend, yet the relationship ended on New Year’s Day. A water to the mill to those who claim on Tinder you can mostly find people who have problems with personality. This is a topic for a separate insightful post, due in two weeks. I believe the break-up and all events in the run-up to it deserve to be put into perspective. Too early to write about it when emotions are running high.

Despite the pandemic, I had decided to get involved in charity. My zeal was quickly dampened and participation as a volunteer ended up with frustration and a grudge. Nevertheless, I still do not rule out I sign up for it this year, but only if the pandemic eases.

Home office, which by 11 March 2020 was an occasional privilege, has become the order (or rather ordeal) of the day (not a single day spent in the office since then). I have no problems with efficiency, focusing on work, ergonomics (I have invested in a top-of-the range chair) nor with separating private and work time. But I do miss direct contact with people and I am sick of staying all the time at home (there was a time when I slept at my girlfriend’s place and came home to work only which gave some relief) which no longer is an asylum and a place of rest. My employer has already told me after the pandemic is gone, I will work 2 days in office, 3 days at home. This looks like the first and foremost reason to look for a new job, which would give flexibility, instead of forcing me to stay at home to bring savings to my employer.

In 2020 I wrote little about politics, especially I have not mentioned my participation in the anti-government march in Warsaw on 30 October 2020, which was attended by approximately 100,000 participants, but just like open-air protests with face masks, has not contributed to increase in COVID-19 spread rate.

My outlook for 2021? The first milestone, whose date remains unknown would be the day four weeks after my parents are vaccinated. The fear of their mental and physical health will be then gone and I will not have to choose between meeting people and visiting them which was the case over the entire 4Q2020 (I had to fork out some cash for a PCR test before Christmas). As the pandemic eases and after I get over the post break-up trauma, I will need to resume the lookout a life companion, which in practice means the Tinder experience will start over.

And I hope by the end of 2021 I also get vaccinated. I will do that:
- out of care and responsibility of those whose life or health is at particular peril,
- to help those who cannot run their businesses, lost their job, income or wealth because of the pandemic,
- to accelerate the recovery of people whose mental or physical health has worsened on account of the virus.

2019 - end-year musings

As the end of the year draws near, high time for summaries and reflections spurred by the recent months.

The first quarter of the year was marked by refurbishment and furnishing the flat. Nine months after moving in, I feel well this is my place on earth. The drawback of such positive vibes associated with the dwelling will be the unease to move out of there one day.

The major event in the second quarter were exacerbating problems with the lumbar spine which ended up with a fortnight spent on intensive recovery, which, along with continuous exercising, have proven to help me pull through.

In the third quarter I had to face up to a tough challenge at work. The task was stressful, time-consuming and though worth being described on the blog, for the sake of confidentiality, I have held back on it. It was one of those things that could have killed me, but eventually have made me stronger.

In the fourth quarter I set out to fulfil my dream from last year and decided to commit much of my money, spare time and courage to help those worse off. It has paid back with good energy and has become made me yearn for more.

The entire year was marked by my growing awareness of the climate change, its severe implications and mankind’s impact on the global warming. After the hottest June since records began and after the warmest fourth quarter of the year since records began (October being the third warmest, November the second warmest and December on track to be the third warmest), one witnesses figures backing the climate change.

Every individual has responsibility to slow down this process, and just like in elections in which every vote counts, any (positive) change matters. In contemplating how one can influence the global warming I distinguish some key areas.

Firstly, how one heats one’s household. Here much needs to be done and is being done of the levels of central and local governments. The authorities need to support financially (with a carrot) those who need to replace their smog-generating incinerators with civilised furnaces running on natural gas, but also have to crack down (with a stick) on those who keep on burning rubbish and whatever cheap stuff to heat their houses.

Secondly, how one travels. The biggest detriment is caused by short-distance flying, which I have committed to shun as much as possible (though I may happen to repeat it, if I am forced to keep company to one of senior executives who do not stoop so low to take a train). The second biggest damage to air pollution is caused by short-distance car trips around town. I have nearly completely given up on driving below 10 kilometres (such is the distance to my parents’ house) and if I drive around town, my destinations are difficult to be reached by public transport (door-to-door journey several times longer) or when something heavy lands in my boot. Public transport and bicycle are a solution in over 90% of circumstances.

Thirdly, by one’s choices as a consumer. Here the 5R rule applies. Think before you buy an item and consider whether you really need it. Once you buy something, take care of it and use for as long as possible. Replace when an item wears down, not when your get bored of it and hanker after something brand new. Cut down on use of disposable items. Be sensitive to how stuff is packaged. I can proudly say my one-person household produces these day one 35-litre bag of litter per 3 days. Besides, I get along with life without material whims.

Fourthly, what one eats. Next year will be the time on cutting back on meat consumption, though with no intension of becoming a vegetarian.

Fifthly, be aware with making choices and mind the greenwashing. The best example of greenwashing observed by me in 2019 was my own employer, taking pride in replacing its entire fleet with hybrid Toyotas (each to be replaced by a brand-new one after mere two years of 60,000 kilometres). I have driven those cars and travelled on board of them as a passenger around town and I am more than disillusioned. Brushing driving impressions (I honestly dislike it) aside, I am deeply dissatisfied with its economics. Fuel consumption (I am writing now about hybrid Corolla sedan with 1.8 engine) of around 5 – 6 litres per 100 km in town (as much as a frugal, small petrol-run car would do and compares to my car with would consume 8 litres per 100 km) and above litres per 100 km on motorway (tempomat set at 140 kmph) which is far more than my car, which would gulp also around 8 litres at such speed, has little to do with stopping smog!

The hybrid vehicles are good for people who drive a lot around town as part of their profession (taxi drivers, couriers delivering parcels or whatever else, cable TV guys, etc). Other car users should rather be encouraged not to use cars around town rather than switching into cars which have their batteries charged from fume-producing engines. After doing a research I would not buy a hybrid car with my driving profile. Firstly, they have no advantage (to put it bluntly, perform inferiorly) in long-distance trips (2/3 of my yearly mileage), secondly they do not endure well frequent periods of sitting idle for a few days (my car generally sits in the garage over the working week).

Summing up, next year I see myself following the guidelines helping me preserve the planet, yet reasonably, without going into extremes, meaning not giving up on effects of technological progress at any price.