This blog is my best way to finish the year. With some delay due to my travels, I write it during my vacation in Marrakech on 31 December 2025. Looking back, 2025 was full of growth, love, and discovery. It gave me unforgettable memories across work, life, and travel.
International Testing Community
This year I spoke at five conferences. Each one gave me the chance to share knowledge, meet professionals, and grow in the world of quality engineering and testing.
One highlight was the workshop I co‑led with Eveline at EuroSTAR 2025, where we explored new ways of coaching in testing. I also joined the Testing Retreat in Belgium, a concept I truly enjoyed.
My Journey as Consultant
On the technical side, I worked on SAP Test Management projects, especially with complex authorization systems. These projects were not easy, but they taught me how test management builds trust and efficiency in big organizations.
Personal Milestones
2025 was unforgettable. I celebrated my wedding in Tunisia in August, followed by a three‑week honeymoon in Asia. We took seven planes, visited seven cities, and lived magical moments.
I also attended two football matches that marked my year.
On 27 December 2025, at the Complexe Sportif in Fes, I watched Tunisia play Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations.
In February 2025, at the Decathlon Arena in Lille, I saw LOSC Lille face Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Another highlight was discovering Meta glasses, which gave me a new way to capture photos during my trips.
Travel Corner – 41 Cities, 11 Countries
This year I explored Europe, Asia, and North Africa, visiting forty‑one cities. Each place carried its own tradition and story.
In Tunisia, I visited Tunis with its blue and white houses and mint tea with pine nuts, and Sfax, my hometown, famous for olive oil, fishing, and lively souks.
In Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur showed me mosques, temples, and tall towers, while Genting Highlands offered a cable car ride above the forest leading to Chin Swee Temple in the mist.
In Indonesia, Ubud was alive with art and rice terraces, Sidemen was a quiet valley of weaving and farming, the Gili Islands were a barefoot paradise with sea turtles, Seminyak was full of sunset beaches, and Jakarta was a capital of noise, traditions, and street food.
In Morocco, Rabat welcomed me with gardens and calligraphy, Fes amazed me with medieval alleys and the world’s oldest university, Meknes showed imperial gates and horse festivals, Chefchaouen shined as the Blue Pearl with painted streets, Marrakech was alive with storytellers and souks, Ourika Valley offered Berber villages and herbs, Ifrane surprised me as Little Switzerland with cedar forests and snow, and Agafay Desert gave me camels, rocky landscapes, and stars at night.
In the United Kingdom, London mixed royal heritage with modern life.
In Scotland, Glasgow was full of music and art, Stirling told stories of castles and battles, and Edinburgh celebrated literature and festivals.
In France, Marsanne offered vineyards and retreats, Montélimar was sweet with nougat traditions, Lille, my home since 2021, welcomed me with Flemish houses and warm spirit, and Toulouse showed rugby passion and cassoulet.
In Belgium, Liège was joyful with carnival parades and waffles, Leuven was a student city famous for beer, Moelingen kept rural traditions, and Antwerp told stories of diamonds, fashion, and trade.
In Sweden, Göteborg gave me seafood and fika coffee breaks, while Donsö was a fishing island with strong community spirit.
In Vietnam, Hanoi was full of temples and pho, Lào Cai opened ethnic markets, Bac Ha was colorful with its Sunday market, Nam Cang offered herbal baths and hospitality, Sapa amazed me with rice terraces, Ba Vi was a place of healing, Ninh Binh showed karst mountains and rivers, Ha Long was a bay of limestone islands and fishing villages, and Bai Tu Long Bay was quiet and untouched.
In Spain, Madrid was alive with flamenco, tapas, and royal palaces.
Adventures and Experiences
This year I joined cooking classes in Lille where I made macarons, éclairs, and chocolate fondants.
I walked into the street train in Hanoi !
I attended a mindfulness training 3Day course in Marsanne.
In June 2025, I attended the Ed Sheeran festival show at the Decathlon Arena in Lille, a night filled with music and unforgettable energy
In Vietnam I learned to prepare spring rolls and NEMS and visited a tea farm where they show us how tea is made.
I did snorkeling for the first time in Gili Islands and I enjoyed the views, beauty underwater !
I also discovered hypnosis during our end of year party in Capgemini, I managed to do the first 2 exercices but then I couldn’t continue the other ones, my mind stopped me 😂
Content Creation and Publications
This year I produced more vlogs than before, most about food and travel. But the biggest highlight was Instagram, where I created one hundred and three food posts documenting my experiences in kitchens and markets across the world. Food became my way to tell stories, from macarons in Lille to coconuts in Vietnam, and it is now a passion that connects my travels with creativity.
At the same time, I continued writing. I published ten new blogs, adding to the hundreds already written since 2020, each crafted to inspire curiosity and share knowledge. I also contributed to the book Amplified Quality Engineering with/for GenAI, co‑authoring Chapter 35: Quality Coaching with a Twist with Eveline Moolenaars. The book was created by Rik Marselis, Wouter Ruigrok, and Jeroen Egelmeers, together with many contributors.
Happy New Year 2026
Writing this overview on a plane during my winter vacation reminded me how adventurous 2025 has been. From forty‑one cities across eleven countries, each place added a new color to my year.
This blog is my way to close the year with gratitude. 2025 was a journey of growth, love, and discovery, and I am proud to carry these memories forward. Thank you for reading. May the next year bring you adventures that inspire your own story.
Emna Ayadi 