Axios Miami reporter's 2026 resolution: more puzzles
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Night 1: I was concerned we'd gotten in over our heads. Photo: Sommer Brugal/Axios
I made my New Year's resolution at about 11pm on Dec. 31 — 30 minutes before I fell asleep on the couch. (My parents woke me up so I could eat my 12 grapes, don't worry.)
My pledge for 2026: To do more puzzles.
Why it matters: I'm usually one to set intentions for the upcoming year and spend time reflecting on the year behind me. But the weeks leading up to New Year's Eve were chaotic and I just couldn't be bothered.
- Enter: The Wines of Spain and Portugal, the 1,000-piece puzzle my parents were gifted by their friend. We began the puzzle on NYE.
Zoom in: We started with the border, which listed (in the tiniest font imaginable) the types of wines found in both regions, like Bobal, Tempranillo and Airén.
- After a few hours, we called it, but not before completing the edges. I was hooked.
Zoom out: Over the next four days (and a careful move to a different work station) we pieced together the cities — yellow banners with red lettering that spelled out Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona and others — then the (incredibly) small images of castles, bottles and mountain ranges.
- Each pairing was a little win and seeing sections come together was so unexpectedly satisfying.
- And finding a piece we'd been searching for resulted in the same excitement one would hear after their team scored a touchdown.
The bottom line: I can't remember the last time I'd done a puzzle other than those I do with my friends' 3-year-olds.
- But the process forced me to slow down, get off my phone for long stretches of time and work toward something that felt both creative and challenging.
- Working on it with my mom while enjoying our morning coffee or a glass of wine in the evening was the cherry on top.