As 2025 comes to a close, it’s inevitable to reflect on everything that happened this year, what to celebrate, and the lessons learned.
And wow, I have so many things to celebrate! 🎉
I became the co-organizer of another incredible AWS User Group in Sweden. Besides AWS User Group Skåne, now comes AWS User Group Stockholm.
I partnered with three other wonderful women and community builders to bring an old dream to life: the AWS Women’s User Group Sweden. 🥰
During my first year living in Europe and contributing to the community in the Northern Hemisphere, I delivered talks and workshops at meetups, conferences, and AWS Community Days in Malmö, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Milan, and Lisbon.
I also helped organize AWS Community Day Baltic in Poland, alongside continued online participation in LATAM and APAC, regions where I never stop contributing.
And I returned to Las Vegas once more for the magical week that is AWS re:Invent.
Even though not for the reasons I would have wished, it was incredibly special to see my dearest ones in my beloved New Zealand and, after more than 10 years, to finally hug my deeply missed family and friends in Brazil.
But as we know, and yet seem to keep forgetting, not everything is easy or runs smoothly the way it appears on social media.
This year was also a powerful reminder that mental health must be taken seriously and that family must be a priority. The price is high when we ignore it. It almost cost me a child and nearly half of this year, leaving a gap in my career that I’m still figuring out how to navigate and what the consequences may be.
Menopause is challenging. Job hunting is stressful and time-consuming. Problems don’t pause. Tech releases move faster than I can keep up with. The feeling of being behind can be overwhelming. Balancing it all is a constant struggle.
And this is life. Life with issues we all carry in one way or another, but rarely see when scrolling through a feed.
It’s not that people are lying; we simply tend to share what we believe is worth showing. And usually, it’s not even a third of what’s really happening in our lives.
That’s why it’s so important to remember that what you see on social media is never 100% of that role model or inspiring person.
And above all, never forget to be kind. 💖
If I had to summarize all my feelings and lessons from 2025, looking ahead to 2026, in one word, it would be: kindness. 🫂
Be kind to others.We never truly know what’s happening behind that smiling photo, that certification post, that talk delivered on stage, or any success being celebrated online.It’s usually just one aspect of a much bigger story, often accompanied by struggles, immense effort, sacrifices we can’t imagine, and challenges we’ll never see.
And more than anything, be kind to yourself.You are unique. Your experience matters. You are so much more than what appears on social media. Comparison will only steal your joy.Compare yourself only to yesterday’s version of you, not today’s version of others.Take time to recognize and celebrate your own reality: the challenges you’ve overcome and the victories you’ve achieved.
I’m deeply grateful for all the kindness I received this year, from family, friends, mentors, mentees, and so many others I was lucky to cross paths with. It made all the difference.From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Your kindness is a fundamental part of everything I have to celebrate today, and I hope I have many opportunities to repay it and spread even more kindness around me in 2026. 💞
✨ Have a Happy and Kind New Year! ✨
