2016: A Year in a Review
by
justifyourewondering
- 17:14
With only a few weeks left of the year, it always seems fitting to reflect on the good, bad and the ugly of my past trip around the sun. 2016 has been a huge year in so many ways, and it's had it's share of ups and downs. To be fair, with so many changes in lifestyle and friends and circumstances, I already knew that the year was going to be a bit of a roller coaster (as much of a cliche as that is).
Although it's only fair to acknowledge the 'downs', in everything from current affairs, pop culture and just personally, I've made a huge effort this year to put a positive spin on everything. Fresh thinking has done a world of good for my mentality and general health. Everything, success or (traditional) failure, is a triumph. It is an experience and something that I can't change, so what's the point of letting it negatively affect my outlook or how I define my year?
All year I've kept a list of every little good and bad experience that I've had, and it's one of the best things I've done for myself. Being able to look at every obstacle and success and all the amazing experiences I've had generally this year has inspired me to expand the list next year.
A lot of my biggest achievements and best experiences this year have been milestones, like going to prom, leaving school (although admittedly, this was a little bittersweet), going abroad without my parents, meeting Jenna (can't say it's every day you meet your pen pal -if that's even the right word- from 1000000s of miles away), starting uni, travelling to London by myself (TWICE!!!!!), getting two jobs and passing my driving test.
Similarly as big; as of this year, I can now say it took me 3 attempts to pass my driving test, I got my tonsils out, and cried eating a yogurt because of it. I got hit by a bike on the day Trump became president. I failed my first exam (luckily it didn't count for anything). I had a bunch of interviews for jobs I didn't get. Not to mention all the times I've tripped over my own feet, dropped a huge barrel of fudge hot chocolate mix at work, and slipped running into a restaurant an hour late and grabbed a stranger's coat to steady myself. There are so many stories to tell off the back of these experiences, and in the long run, they help make me who I am and will be for the rest of my life.
Also, why would you focus on the negative aspects of those, when I could also go on about standing in the POURING rain at the top of the Arc de Triumphe without a jacket, and running through a giant ankle deep puddle in the middle of Disneyland Paris (much to the amusement of everyone who caught me trying to gallop around it and ended up just running through it). On the same trip, I ate a crepe under the Eiffel Tower and watched fireworks 4 nights in a row. THEN only a week later, I got to go snorkelling in some of the world's best beaches and coral reefs in Cuba - where I saw real wild barracudas, starfish and where we found a giant crab in our room one night. Our trip to Camaguey while we were there taught me how lucky I am to live in a country that allows us so many freedoms, but similarly broadened my views and knowledge of an entirely different country and culture.
These are only a sample of the amazing things that have happened this year, not including achievements in fitness/well being and a new positive outlook - which in themselves have been a huge success for me. 2016 has been amazing, and I feel so lucky to have met so many wonderful people and to have been given so many opportunities.
I'm beyond excited to make sure that the list of exciting things in 2017 only grows, both in success and inevitable failure. Here's to a new chapter! :-)
Love,
Lucy
Although it's only fair to acknowledge the 'downs', in everything from current affairs, pop culture and just personally, I've made a huge effort this year to put a positive spin on everything. Fresh thinking has done a world of good for my mentality and general health. Everything, success or (traditional) failure, is a triumph. It is an experience and something that I can't change, so what's the point of letting it negatively affect my outlook or how I define my year?
All year I've kept a list of every little good and bad experience that I've had, and it's one of the best things I've done for myself. Being able to look at every obstacle and success and all the amazing experiences I've had generally this year has inspired me to expand the list next year.
A lot of my biggest achievements and best experiences this year have been milestones, like going to prom, leaving school (although admittedly, this was a little bittersweet), going abroad without my parents, meeting Jenna (can't say it's every day you meet your pen pal -if that's even the right word- from 1000000s of miles away), starting uni, travelling to London by myself (TWICE!!!!!), getting two jobs and passing my driving test.
Similarly as big; as of this year, I can now say it took me 3 attempts to pass my driving test, I got my tonsils out, and cried eating a yogurt because of it. I got hit by a bike on the day Trump became president. I failed my first exam (luckily it didn't count for anything). I had a bunch of interviews for jobs I didn't get. Not to mention all the times I've tripped over my own feet, dropped a huge barrel of fudge hot chocolate mix at work, and slipped running into a restaurant an hour late and grabbed a stranger's coat to steady myself. There are so many stories to tell off the back of these experiences, and in the long run, they help make me who I am and will be for the rest of my life.
Also, why would you focus on the negative aspects of those, when I could also go on about standing in the POURING rain at the top of the Arc de Triumphe without a jacket, and running through a giant ankle deep puddle in the middle of Disneyland Paris (much to the amusement of everyone who caught me trying to gallop around it and ended up just running through it). On the same trip, I ate a crepe under the Eiffel Tower and watched fireworks 4 nights in a row. THEN only a week later, I got to go snorkelling in some of the world's best beaches and coral reefs in Cuba - where I saw real wild barracudas, starfish and where we found a giant crab in our room one night. Our trip to Camaguey while we were there taught me how lucky I am to live in a country that allows us so many freedoms, but similarly broadened my views and knowledge of an entirely different country and culture.
These are only a sample of the amazing things that have happened this year, not including achievements in fitness/well being and a new positive outlook - which in themselves have been a huge success for me. 2016 has been amazing, and I feel so lucky to have met so many wonderful people and to have been given so many opportunities.
I'm beyond excited to make sure that the list of exciting things in 2017 only grows, both in success and inevitable failure. Here's to a new chapter! :-)
Love,
Lucy
