Wow, 2017 has been a crazy year... after a pretty crap 2016, this year could only really improve and whilst it's had its challenges, it's certainly had its awesome moments and all in all, been a big step up and perhaps one of the best years. So this post is dedicated to my highlights and achievements this year!
I hadn't realised quite how much I'd done and achieved this year until it came to editing my 2017 wrapped up video which consequently, is now one of my favourites! It shows all the amazing things I've done and even made me emotional looking back at it all. I'd love it if you check it out below and let me know what your 2017 highlights are or your plans/goals for next year! (You could also hit that subscribe button if you fancy seeing more videos!)
Finishing first year- it may seem like an obvious one but I've got to acknowledge the completion of first year as at the very start, I did doubt that day would come or at least arrive having lead to so many amazing things. I then really hated the first part of second year and again doubted that I would finish second year however, this soon changed and I ended up enjoying a fair bit and enjoyed working with new people and those I already knew.
Flatmates- I've had a great year getting to know and spend time with the people I live with both last year and this year. We've had some great moments both out and spent in the flat/house which has made my university experience what it is. They're some of my closest friends and people I hope to spend time with in many years to come. Long may our sofa chats continue!
Coursemates- 2017 has been a great year for forming new friendships and developing existing ones. There are some great people on my course and I've loved getting to know people better and spend time together both in and out of lectures. Ice hockey- One particular outing I really enjoyed was the Varsity ice hockey game we went to at the start of the year. I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did but the whole atmosphere and sport itself made a fun evening! As a big winter sports fan, it's definitely something I'd want to watch more although I haven't actually watched it since then so maybe I'll have to plan more in 2018!
Nights out- I've actually enjoyed going out more this year, clubbing is still definitely not my favourite thing but I enjoy it more than I did and can have fun without the nerves/anxieties I used to have surrounding it which may seem like an odd achievement but to me is an achievement as it shows progress even if it's not completely changed. It's also created some enjoyable memories spent with some of my closest friends. Living alone- although I love being back home and spending time with my family, one thing I think I've done pretty darn well this year is living alone. I manage to shop, cook, clean and just generally look after myself without any real issues which is an achievement worth acknowledging from time to time. It's obviously helped by the people I live with that make things easier and enjoyable.
Travel
Majorca- spending a couple of weeks in a villa in Majorca with my family was amazing. We had a beautiful villa in a lovely setting. Relaxing by the pool, exploring Pollenca, spending time with family and having a fun day at the water park all made it a much needed break and lead to a great holiday!
Vidcon- Vidcon was incredible, not only did it tick something off of my bucket list but it exceeded my expectations. Exploring Amsterdam with Kim and Cally was a lot of fun and then to spend two days surrounded by creators and general YouTube community was amazing. I had the best time, learnt so much and got to meet people I love to watch so all in all, it was like nothing else and was well worth the experience!
Interrailing- it may not have gone to plan but I did see, do and achieve a lot in the week I did of interrailing! My cousin and I had some funny moments including a number revolving around transport. I also got to see Amsterdam again and visit places I hadn't the first time around... House of Bols was a particular highlight although it was a cool experience generally. Budapest was a definite highlight of 2017 as I absolutely loved the city and loved exploring it at my own pace, seeing exactly what I wanted to see without relying on anyone else or a map to lead the way. The fact I saw all I wanted to see and even climbed the hill to see the city from a different view despite my fear of heights is something I am particularly proud of as I usually rely on others to encourage me to ignore the height element. Seeing my mum and Gemma in Budapest was also amazing especially the awesome cocktails in the Tiki Bar! I also went to my first festival in Budapest and had an amazing day! It was so cool seeing the performances, exploring the island and generally make the most of our day at Sziget.
Sorrento- when interrailing fell through and I found myself back home, my best friend and I planned a last minute short break to Sorrento. It was such a beautiful area to explore and enjoy even if just for a short while. We also had some delicious food including one of the nicest Arrabiatas I've ever had (and I've tried a lot of them!) as well as one of the best Pizzas... they truly made incredible food!
Events
Birthday- my birthday was a lot of fun: from cocktails with my housemates; to the surprise party my family organised; to skiing at the snowdome... all of it was amazing and made my birthday a really fun and memorable occasion.
Rob's 18th surprise- linking to surprises, my brother's surprise 18th was a lot of fun and it was great to see his reaction as he walked in to see all of his friends and family. The day and weekend was made even better by my friend, Runa, coming to stay who I don't get to see very often at all. Madame Tussauds and shopping with mum- whilst Rob was at an audition, mum and I took the opportunity to spend time in shopping in London and visiting Madame Tussauds which was another thing I could tick off of my bucket list. Although it kind of gave me the creeps, it was such a fun trip and was a highlight of 2017.
Seeing Rob in London- fast forward a few months to him staying in London, mum and I visited for the day and had a lovely time together. It was nice to explore the area, have lunch and dinner out and watch Footloose the musical... all elements that made a great day! Little Mix- mum and I had a lovely night seeing Little Mix and despite the long walk home, it was a fun evening. Little Mix were amazing, we had a great meal and generally enjoyed staying in Birmingham overnight. Filming in London- it was really cool to experience filming in London with Cally and definitely wasn't anything I expected to happen this year. It was really interesting to see the filming process and to work with some lovely people!
London Made in Chelsea party- this was such a surreal day and another unexpected event. Again, it was really cool to be able to see the behind the scenes/filming process and crazy but awesome to have been able to be in the VIP area in a really cool location.
Other
Work- another change this year was starting work in the office of a school. It's been cool to work with new people and has definitely made me learn a lot so I'm looking forward to the next year! We also had a great end to the year at the work do and although I didn't expect to be going out afterwards and it did bring some *ahem* interesting events, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it.
Gym- I've enjoyed going to the gym again this year and although I haven't been as much as I'd like for a lot of the year, I'm hoping this will be easier now there's one close to where I live. I really enjoy the personal training sessions with mum and even though they're difficult, I never dread going and always enjoy the session. I'm also happy that I have been able to work on my 5km cycle and keep trying to decrease my time sometimes successfully, sometimes less so! Giving blood- another tick off my bucket list; I finally gave blood on Boxing Day and although the wait was very offputting and the whole experience wasn't the most comfortable, it was all fine and is worth it knowing it will hopefully help somebody.
YouTube/Blog- last but not least, I've enjoyed working on both my blog and channel and although I've not been consistent with my blog at all, I've been trying to put content up across both as much as possible and have enjoyed YouTube even more towards the end of the year. Both have contributed to a number of opportunities that have helped shape this year. I'm grateful for all of the support across both platforms and hope you've enjoyed my posts this year. I'm looking forward to 2018 and hope you'll continue supporting me and enjoying my content!
I hope you have had a good 2017 and have an even better 2018. Thank you so much for reading this post.
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