This year I’ve been terrible with my beloved blog. I promise I’ve tried, but my life this year has been a roller coaster without a seatbelt (as usual). And to be honest, for quite a while now I’ve been thinking again: Nuria, why do you write if nobody reads your crap? But then I quickly remember that I really do this for myself, and if someone reads it, great, and if not, well… at least it’s there.

I imagine that when I’m no longer around, my kids and my grandchildren (well, hopefully one day) will read this and think: Wow… grandma was a bit crazy hahaha.

But since the end of the year is approaching, I felt forced to write my annual recap, as I always do. This year has been one of the hardest of my life because, as you know, my mother passed away in April, and the emotional weight of caring for her over the last six years, and witnessing the end, took a piece of my soul with it. I’d like to say I’m healed, but I think this is lifelong; it changes you somehow and you’re never quite the same again.

This year I’ve also continued purging friendships that no longer gave me anything—and I probably didn’t give them much either. I truly feel more liberated, although also a bit sad, because I’ve always been very extroverted, with lots of friends and acquaintances, always out and about, meeting different groups: the fabulous moms, the ballet girls, the work crew, etc. And now I find myself a bit isolated in Madrid; my poor boyfriend is now basically my best friend… and I don’t know how much longer he’ll last hahaha.

Uff… from writing every day to waiting months. My head goes so fast my fingers can’t keep up, but I need to vomit it all out or I’ll explode. I’ve decided that instead of telling everything in essay form, I’m going to summarize my year month by month (yes, I know, super organized, original, creative, and authentic), to see if all this finally pays off in 2026—because I’m broke hahaha.

Before showing you my recap, I need to tell you something very important, something that will change everything. Those of you still reading might already be hardcore fans and thinking: what the hell is she going to tell us now…? It scares me too. Don’t worry, yes, it will affect you—but I trust you’ll handle it.

So here it is: this whole Nuricoco character has been useful to me in many ways. It’s a character through which I created many blog posts, wrote several books, did fun interviews, and gained quite a few followers (well, not that many… all the ones I have on TikTok, for example, are actually fans of my mother—poor things, many still keep liking her videos as if she were still here; that comforts me and makes me laugh).

Yes, yes, I’m getting to it—damn, so impatient as always…

The thing is, my life so far has taken many turns: I started as a ballet dancer (and I still am), worked as a sales assistant, store manager, head buyer, event organizer, and eventually marketing and communications director. And now I’m at a fork in the road and I need to be clear about my future. I’m not young anymore, and I’d like to dedicate myself to what I truly love and am passionate about, without fear and with enthusiasm—because if I don’t do it now, when will I?

Some people encourage me, others tell me I’m crazy; I don’t know who’s right, but my heart is very clear. That said, creating fun content for social media, writing books, scripts—whatever—and above all my acting side is something I’m enjoying way too much, and I’d like to professionalize it a bit. So on my accounts @nuriapendas on Instagram (FOLLOW ME) and @nuria.pendas on TikTok (FOLLOW ME), I’ll start posting all my acting material, and I’ll leave Nuricoco for all my little nonsense—although I’ll still post nonsense from my shoots there too hahaha.

And I’ll update my website www.nuriapendas.com with all the little bits and pieces from shoots and projects.

Uff, how long winded was that all that shit  I’ve just told you. I don’t even think you’ll make it to the recap; you’re probably already tired. Hahaha. I honestly don’t care. I really don’t. It’s such a liberation. I’m free. I’m free from myself, damn it. I want to be me again, to be that little girl who dreamed big, didn’t care about anything, had enviable enthusiasm… that girl will be reborn in 2026, so get ready.

And with all this, here’s my 2025 Recap (Nuria style).

JANUARY

I start the year convinced it’s going to be a good one, with unjustified faith and zero evidence. New resolutions, mental planners, wonderful plans that last exactly as long as body heat. Me being optimistic, the universe taking notes and laughing. The short film  Elektion (shot in December 2024) is released—in English, an amazing experience and confirmation that acting really is my thing. I also do background work on El Salvador, inaugurating the year physically and emotionally frozen: cold, hours standing, and negative glamour. First shoot of the year and first serious warning that this won’t be easy.

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FEBRUARY

A month of intense conversations with my kids while I try to look like a functional adult. My daughter goes on a cruise with her boyfriend and doesn’t know which passport to take or what her legal name actually is. Me breathing deeply and officially accepting that I’m no longer in charge. Meanwhile, I host a student program and feel very comfortable on camera… maybe too comfortable. I start suspecting I might actually be good at this. All while managing the calm of my life’s chaos, pretending maternal serenity and drinking beers as a perfectly valid emotional coping mechanism.

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MARCH

General life exhaustion, zero motivation, and a persistent feeling that something big is coming. Me professionally ignoring the signs. I do background work on Machos Alfa, surrounded by tons of people; I’ll probably never be seen, but I was there and that counts. Self-tapes become my fatal obsession: I can’t handle the camera or lighting, my daughter says I do it terribly and shouldn’t be so sexy (thanks for the support). I also start accumulating “ghost premieres”: projects filmed earlier that start coming out without warning. Me posting silly videos nobody watches, wondering if they don’t laugh or don’t even open them, questioning my look and seriously suspecting I’m my own only audience.

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APRIL

My mother passes away and the world keeps functioning with offensive normality. I learn that strength isn’t chosen, it’s imposed. And yet, I star in the web series Pastillas sin frenos: ten episodes, endless dialogue, and my own makeup (imagine the picture). I also shoot the short peso del silencio: mother, domestic violence, and real crying. Acting while everything hurts is brutal, but also deeply transformative. I don’t stop when I should have stopped, turning pain into work and discovering—surprisingly—that I can handle this too.

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MAY

Delayed grief: body present, mind still in April. I travel with my son and his girlfriend and the trip turns into an emotional odyssey worthy of a miniseries. Me breathing deeply and counting to ten… badly. I shoot Compañeros de piso, which is basically opening and closing doors, lots of waiting, and all in one take—like life itself. I laugh on set as a survival mechanism while projects filmed in 2024 start coming out and I honestly try to remember when I did them. I think traveling will relax me; it doesn’t. I look in the mirror and think: should I change my look? Or did my summer clothes mysteriously shrink?

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JUNE

The first month I think: okay, I’m still here. The heat arrives without warning and violently, along with existential thoughts at 3 a.m. drenched in sweat. I shoot a small role as featured extra on La Nena (Atresmedia) dressed as a nun (I think that says it all). The director yells “Nuria, action!” and I try not to run away or sin. I also shoot The Unknown from Outer Space: one line, 1950s style, shot on an iPhone in a beautiful museum. Me convinced I’m not procrastinating, just calmly processing trauma, realizing the swimsuit is no longer an option and seriously wondering if they’ll let me keep the nun outfit. Because I have a unique talent for complicating things that were perfectly fine.

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JULY

Summer feels endless. Shit, it just started. Too much free time to think unhelpful thoughts and me surviving however I can. I shoot a Zenji music video as featured extra—short but intense shoot, jeep burning intimate body parts at 40°C. El Legado (Netflix), filmed in July 2024, is released: me as background, many hours, and José Coronado walking by (absolutely essential detail). I try to coordinate family schedules, discover nobody shares the same definition of “relaxed plan,” and end up adapting myself, as always. Oh, and I change my look (from redhead to blonde in a blink… well, not that easy—thanks Yoli).

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AUGUST

A strange, quiet, emotionally charged month. I travel to Miami for my father’s wedding, surprise included, me in full glam mode. Clear mental note: do not travel to Miami in August, for God’s sake. No filming, forced pause, but 2024 projects keep being released and I share them as if they just happened. In the middle of the wedding, my son has a car accident and my partner sends me a photo saying: “Nothing, just a small scratch…”

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SEPTEMBER

My kids work and study and I can’t process it. I start accepting they don’t need me the same way anymore—wonderful and devastating at the same time. I finally move in with my boyfriend in Madrid after ten years of long-distance. My son drives me with all my stuff, the car packed, like a young girl being taken to college. He says: “Mom, do you really see this as normal?” Meanwhile, self-tapes, castings, and self-directing in front of the mirror: endless takes, talking to myself as part of the official creative process. Emotional move without boxes, slow adaptation, pretending normality like I know how.

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OCTOBER

I turn 57 and feel so-so leaning toward bad, like my body didn’t get the same memo as my mind. Still, I start noticing real progress: less fear, more confidence, and me believing I’m an actress… sometimes. Respira (Netflix, Season 2) is released and I appear in episode 5, with scenes alongside Blanca Suárez, Pablo Alborán, and Najwa Nimri (a fact I will never stop mentioning). I don’t know if this is the start of something big or just personal confirmation, but something is moving and I plan to keep pushing.

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NOVEMBER

An extremely intense month physically and emotionally. Little rest, lots of adrenaline, running on pure inertia. I shoot the UK series Death in Benidorm, small role and huge excitement, meet John Hannah. I shoot another small role for the film El gusto del cloro by Álvaro Congosto—trailer just for me and eating shrimp heads as an acting method. Plus the shorts Tarot, Faith, and MHOLA, going from tarot reader to unlicensed psychologist. Too many shoots in a row, little sleep, and seriously thinking: this has no turning back now.

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DECEMBER

I close the year tired but standing. My kids are fine—much more adult than I’m ready to accept. My daughter gets her driver’s license and buys a car: bad news. Professionally, I end with more releases than chronological memory, more experience than money, and much more confidence than at the start of the year. I live with my partner, but still go back and forth as if Madrid were an emotional Airbnb. I don’t know how to stay still. I look at 2026 with respect… and excitement.

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And there you have it, my recap—very, very summarized, because if I told you every damn detail I’d run out of hosting space. I must say 2025 is a year I’ll never forget: I lost my mother, I lost my red hair, and I left home like a young girl for the first time. I’ve learned a lot, as I do every year; I’ve cried, suffered, been stressed—but I’ve also laughed a lot, traveled, been close to my family, and above all, had health, which for me is the most important thing.

Looking ahead to 2026, astrology experts say Libras will be one of the signs with the best results in every area (let’s see if it’s true). I say goodbye to you and to 2025 with a lot of hope. I have so many things I want to do in 2026 that I don’t know if there will be enough time. I’ll keep writing this blog because it’s how I keep myself sane; I’ll keep, as I am now, thinking positively and being grateful to the universe.

“If 2025 didn’t break me, 2026 has no idea who it’s messing with.”