A Christmas Letter to My Favourite Humans

Hello, hello!!

Merry Christmas, my favourite humans! 🎄🔔

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you are safe, happy, warm, and surrounded by love ❤️

I want to take this special time of year to say THANK YOU for being such reliable, wonderful friends who constantly make me feel so unbelievably blessed.

Whether I’ve only gotten to know you recently this year, or I’ve known you since we were little kids, you mean so much to me. I’m incredibly grateful and thankful to have you in my life.

Now, let me update you on my 2025, especially since life has been hectic and we may not have kept in touch as often, haha. Let me tell you, this year absolutely flew by!

Winter:
I was completely flat out working at the Hilton. Winter is the busiest season in Niseko, so it was nonstop, with many overtime hours 🤯

Spring:
I rediscovered my love for running 🏃‍♀️. My work shifts were often split, starting at 5 a.m. and finishing at 11 p.m., and surprisingly, running home from work at noon became a really nice break in my routine.

Summer:
I went on a super fun hiking trip with Trudy and my uncle to Asahikawa. We stayed at a guesthouse for a couple of nights, hiked a few times, and cried a few times too haha. I remember being exhausted and scared of the elevation, but I will never forget eating 3 boiled eggs at the top of the tallest mountain in Hokkaido 😂.

One of my best friends, Ailin, visited Japan for the first time, so I flew down to see her in Osaka and Kyoto. Thanks to my Hilton employee benefits, I got to take us to stay at a Hilton, which felt so special. We visited temples, ate endlessly, and talked for hours!

Autumn:
Now, this is where 2025 played its wild card. I changed jobs!

While I loved the Hilton community and everything I learned from a year in a fast-paced, customer-facing role, it was time to leave. Career progression was slow, and surviving on four hours of sleep a day because of split shifts was seriously affecting my health. Not gonna lie, the resignation process was honestly scarring. I was bullied by directors and managers for choosing to leave.

However, on the bright side, I had a long break before my new role started. Two days after moving out of Hilton’s staff accommodation, I solo-travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Then I returned to attend a two-week driving camp in Hiroshima, followed by a sister trip with Trudy in Taiwan, and finally a family holiday in Phuket with my aunt and uncle.

This break was hectic, but it was exactly what I needed. Leaving Hilton felt like a real loss, and I think a lot of the sadness came from letting go of the dream that had been pictured for me, that I would become the youngest General Manager in just a few years. Talking about it over and over again with my family allowed me to grieve properly and eventually feel excited about my new role.

In mid-November, I started a sales role at a luxury property company, also in Niseko, and I am genuinely loving it. I am learning the business side of hospitality, and the people are lovely. It really feels like I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel 🔆.

Winter (again):
Winter arrived late this year, only in mid-December. I am trying to go skiing whenever I am off work, and I have been catching up with lots of friends too 🎿⛷️.

I truly cannot wait to see what 2026 has in store.

Do let me know how 2025 went for you. I miss you lots 🥰💕!

Love,

Aislin