Second Glances with Arabella

As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself pausing — as I so often encourage my readers to do — to take one last look back at the year we’ve just shared together on Second Glances with Arabella.

With this being the first year of my blog, I’m still finding my way, getting my footing, figuring out what I want to write about and what it is you want to hear more about from me, or the virtual world we all cohabitate. In looking back over 2025, I probably was a little all over the place, but some common themes seemed to take shape and coalesce as the months flew by (and did they ever fly!) and I think I can boil them down to a few important ones.

This year was about presence. About noticing. About slowing down long enough in Second Life to truly see the places, people, and moments that make this world feel alive.

A Year of Wandering and Wonder

Throughout 2025, you went along with me as I wandered across regions both familiar and newly discovered — from sun-warmed coastal retreats to quiet autumn lanes dusted with falling leaves. I wanted to bring you places that invited you to linger, to breathe, and to feel something beyond the rush of destinations and events. I also wanted to capture them as moments and places in time, recognizing that some were temporary and would only last a few weeks or months.

Seasonal change was a constant companion this year. We watched spring unfold, lingered in the glow of summer, and embraced autumn in all its golden, nostalgic beauty. As winter arrived, I found myself leaning fully into the magic of the season — snowy villages, candlelit homes, and the gentle traditions that make the holidays in Second Life feel just as meaningful as those beyond the screen.

Celebrating Community and Shared Traditions

More than anything, 2025 was about community.

There were stories of how we play together, gather together, and mark time together — whether through quirky traditions like seasonal name changes (for the record, I took Everfrost for my 2025 Holiday name), Halloween fun, or the joy and generosity of the Second Life Christmas Expo. These moments matter because they remind us that this virtual world is shaped not by code alone, but by the people who show up, year after year, to make it something special.

I also enjoyed highlighting homes, regions, and developments that reflect the evolving ways we live in Second Life. From quiet residential enclaves to imaginative themed spaces, I wanted to show how creativity continues to flourish — and how a sense of “home” remains at the heart of it all.

Honoring Reflection, Memory, and Change

Not every story in 2025 was lighthearted — and I believe that’s important.

This year included moments of remembrance and reflection, acknowledging that connections formed in virtual spaces carry real emotional weight. The RL loss of our friend Taro Firanelli in November, a 17-year pillar of our community, was a watershed moment for most of us that is still being keenly felt as I write these words. Supporting each other, remembering him and acknowledging our common grief has been enormously helpful to us all.

I wrote about change — personal, communal, and platform-wide — with honesty and care, striving to give readers space to think, feel, and form their own perspectives.

Whether discussing farewells, platform updates, or shifts within the broader Second Life landscape, my goal was always the same: clarity without alarm, reflection without judgment, and conversation without noise.

Why I Write — and Why It Matters

If there’s a single thread running through everything I wrote about in 2025, it’s this: Second Life is worth paying attention to.

It’s worth slowing down for.
It’s worth documenting.
It’s worth celebrating — especially in the quiet moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.

I write Second Glances not to chase headlines, but to capture atmosphere, feeling, and lived experience. And if this year’s posts encouraged you to explore a new region, revisit an old favorite, decorate a little more thoughtfully, or simply sit and watch the light change — then 2025 did exactly what I hoped it would.

Finishing in Style-With a Hogmanay!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t use this end-of-the-year post to mention our own community’s biggest annual event-the Hogmanay Celebration of the New Year! This has been an annual event now for 18 years in the Highlands of Scotland of Second Life and everyone is invited to drop in and share a cup of kindness for Auld Lang Syne as we kick up our heels and dance the old year away. Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the New Year and it will begin at 12PM Noon SLT and go on for six hours as we celebrate the arrival of 2026 in Europe and Great Britain with the owners both hosting and taking over the DJ duties for the night. Nessie’s Neuk at Aldourie Castle will be alive with friends, fun, music and celebration, so be sure to mark your calendars and come on over to join the fun! The SLURL is in the post notes below.

Looking Ahead

As we step toward a new year, I carry deep gratitude for everyone who stopped by, read along, and shared these moments with me. Thank you for walking these paths, watching these seasons turn, and finding beauty in the details. I appreciate that you enjoyed posts where I tried to give helpful tips about things like gardening, decorating for the holidays and figuring things out in SL. Next year, I’ll try to focus some more on things that might be useful to both new and seasoned residents. I also appreciate the response to articles about new things coming to Second Life and I’ll try to make sure you know about these things as soon as they occur.

In closing, here’s to more glances, more stories, and more quiet magic in the year ahead.

— Arabella Windsor

Post Notes

Nessie’s Neuk at Aldourie Castle: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inverness%20City/44/93/23