#13 2025 WRAPPED

A disjointed summary of the year that was...

Listened to:

My final Spotify Wrapped before quitting the platform

• Gigs I DJed - 52 in three states

• House sits - 14 (12 cats 6 dogs)

• Friends’ babies born - 1

• Flights taken - 6

• Festivals attended - 2

• New cowgirl hats acquired - 2

• Therapy appointments- 6

• Ppl smooched - 5

• Honky Tonk Town club nights - 1 (before I put it on hiatus)

• Films watched - ~5

• Books read - 0 😬 (but I did finish my Forest Therapy course which involved reading a lot of scientific articles so I’m not entirely a bimbo OK?!)

• Carpentry pre-apprenticeships completed - 1

• Forest Therapy courses finished - 1

• Forest Therapy sessions hosted - 4

• Friends who got engaged - 1

• “Real” jobs held - 1 as a Park Ranger in two parks (Macedon and the You Yangs)

Gigs attended - CMAT, ZZ Top, Jon Muq, Killing Heidi, High Street Drifters, Billy Strings, Misty Harlowe, Tanya Ransom and Adele Oliver, a Jazz Lab gig (can’t remember who played tho woops), Loretta Miller, Trousdale, Kacey Musgraves, Songs From the Canyon, Moonee Valley Drifters, Darren Hanlon. Lots of honky tonkin’ and two stepping at The Gem and Rooks Return. Probably more that I can’t remember right now.

Best gig - Toss up between Trousdale with Kate (live vocals and harmonies from the girls were impeccable!) and Billy Strings with Tom (so fun to see a stadium bluegrass show and meet his Billy Goat fanbase).

Highlights - Did a bunch of dumpster diving. Op shopped heaps. Made bolo ties. Did crafts. DJed at Finishing School, Slow Grind Fever, Bonny Bar, Round Up! Party. Did a bunch of gigs with the Country Struts at Corner Hotel and their Spring Hoedown. Took myself on a birthday getaway to Rushworth and stayed at King Billy Retreat, an old renovated shearer’s cottage on a bush block decorated with vintage furnishings (dream home vibes). Car camped in my ute a bunch of times. House concerts. New loves. Old loves. Lessons. Went to Gariwerd to do bushfire impact assessments and had some good laughs and chats with my colleague Mick. Annie and Dyl had Rory. Saw a bunch of echidnas and wombats. Played board games with friends. Saw Billy Strings. Spontaneously flew to Sydney to see Billy Strings a second time. Went bowling a few times. Dressed up vintage and went to my hairdresser, Basette Barberia, the prohibition vintage barbershop on Lygon St several times. Witnessed a night-time stand off between an owl and a possum on the fence of a tennis court in Williamstown. Played guitar and got a tiny bit better. Made soup. Saw my friend Chelsea in a community theatre production of Cruel Intentions. Kate had her Fairies, Mermaids and Witches themed 30th. Hosted dinners. Went to the museum with Paige and Zadie and watched her wonder at the geodes and light projections and animal-related things. Pippa had her first birthday. Went sea shanty singing. Volunteered at my 8th Port Fairy Folk Festival where I stage managed for Peter Garrett, swam in the ocean each day and camped in my ute by night - pure freedom and bliss. Saw my friend Taco’s comedy festival show about Chopin. DJed my first wedding. Went to Sydney thrice, Queensland once. Went to my first Out on the Weekend festival. Signed up to a silly little mental health app called Finch where you look after a little bird that I named Fart. Went to therapy. Did yoga. Watched friends’ babies grow up more. Saw lots of antics from within the cage at Moon Dog Wild West. Went to Revs for the first time ever (lol) but only to see Adam Bandt’s DJ set during his election campaign so it doesn’t count! Made a bunch of new friends. Deepened other friendships. Worked a real job half the year as a Park Ranger in Macedon and You Yangs. Stealth camped. Completed my carpentry pre-apprenticeship at TAFE. Cancelled my Spotify subscription. Did lots of two stepping and honky tonkin’.

Lowlights - Observed bad behaviour from certain men. Had a “real job.” Felt too busy and tired. Witnessed a search and rescue in the You Yangs that ended in a tragic outcome. Watched on helplessly as loved ones went through some very difficult times. Heartbreak. Felt empty and dismayed and numb at the state of the world. Spent way too much time on social media. Seeing the rise of AI (vom).

This year has really felt like a big transitional year for me, and the growth has felt uncomfortable. I’ve tried to work towards setting up a life I want by doing my forest therapy course to perhaps start a new business with that, and doing a carpentry course to have the skills to hopefully work on a house someday. I truly feel like I’ve embodied the slingshot analogy, being pulled back far in order to be (hopefully) propelled forward.

As the years go by I’m feeling more like an alien and weirdo and black sheep than ever in this crazy world. This was summed up kind of perfectly when, at my goodbye lunch for my job earlier this year, my manager said that I “certainly brought a different vibe to the office with your country music, dumpster diving and house sitting adventures.” I’ll choose to see it as a compliment though!

This year I also saw loved ones go through some really hard times, and I hate that! Hard times can fuck off, thanks. Can we not just have the personal growth without all the challenging parts? That’d be good. As well as felt grateful and joyful, I felt rather insular, melancholic and empty too. That’s life eh. The world feels more and more divided than ever, and apart from crumbling and feeling totally helpless, the only thing I can think to do is to make small changes in my little sphere and community. I don’t really have much more profound thoughts to offer on the matter. I truly don’t know what the secret is. I do love to dress up in my little outfits though hehe.

Reading back through my wrapped post from last year, I wrote that my NY resolution was resting more and being less busy. I definitely did NOT do that lol.

Me: why am I so exhausted? Also me: moves around to 14 house sits in a year and plays 52 gigs as well as working a full-time job for some of it.

Next year I want to focus on hopefully getting my German citizenship application in. Learn guitar better. Do more crafts and creative things. Learn to DJ better. Set up a forest therapy business. Focus on friendships.

First up next year I’ll be going to Tamworth country music festival for the first time, which I’m very excited about.

Thanks for reading my silly little blog called Brain Trinkets. I wish you a wonderful 2026 with lots of personal growth and zero challenges, good times only all the time!! xo