Ho Ho Ho! Hope you all had a great Xmas! I certainly did. Great to spend time with your loved ones and stuff your face with delicious and scrumpiticous food! Like the themed photo?
So 2011 is drawing to a close! I always view the last week between Xmas and New Year as a time of reflection of that year and planning for the next year. I have planned so much for the next year but I’m afraid I cannot announce them until the first week of January until I have completed some duties but have no fear, they will be announced soon.
So that leaves me with reflections of 2011. And I have made plenty (while I was scoffing the pigs in blankets). It has definitely been a weird year in a sense. I could see I had ‘itchy feet’ and looking to accomplish something as I didn’t feel challenged enough in my job and almost everyone I knew was moving on to their next stages in life whether it was getting married, having kids, promotions, new jobs and many more. But as the year progressed into the twilight months, I realised that I was in the same place when the year started. Aside from my cochlear implant journey, there wasn’t anything earth-shattering enough for me to look back and say ‘it’s been an absolutely eventful year!’
So in October when I had my 2 year review at work, after a complete restructure of the company, there weren’t any new challenges to be taken on despite being interviewed for different positions within the company. Faced with the prospect of doing the ‘same old same old’, I decided to do something about my life. And in that, there would be travel. So I did. Watch out for a post in the first week of January for more…
But having said of 2011, I did enjoy what I managed to do outside of work and there were plenty:
- It was certainly a year of weddings! Big up to 2 of my cousins who got married – Andy and Dave – each giving their own take, Gemma, my old coursemate from Leeds, married her long suffering boyfriend, Kate, my good mate from DELTA (deaf education through listening and talking), also married in a lovely spring wedding ending with me with bloody nipples..but that’s another story… But the most emotional wedding for me would have to be my very good friends’. Catherine, my oldest friend from primary school, married Dan on a hot gorgeous day in April in a fantastic venue. I was there when they first met and I was there when they said their vows to each other. A blubbering wreck I was! I wish them all a lifetime of happiness and joy.
- 2011 was a year of fitness and health for me. After seeing awful pictures of me last Christmas looking so chubby, and realising I couldn’t quite fit into my clothes, and eating and drinking the wrong things. It was a time of action! So being with a personal trainer for 6 months, heading to the gym literally almost every day, turning vegetarian for a while and cutting out drinks, I managed to drop from an scale busting 16st2 to an amazing 12st1. I’m extremely proud of this. To this day, I watch what I eat and drink and exercise accordingly.
- 2011 also was a year of dance! After a brief spell doing salsa dancing with Hannah, we both enrolled on a bollywood dance class! It’s extremely enjoyable and so far I managed to put on 2 performances. We are booked to do a dance at a wedding next year! See more here!
- I managed to do a holiday abroad! I went with Ann to Munich and Salzburg. Lovely and unique cities. I hope to visit again. I will be doing a mini-series of posts about them in the near future.
- Travelled in Britain as well! From the Derbyshire Countryside to a Lincolnshire hamlet to Wembley to a Sandringham Estate to many beaches. I can say it was great fun!
- Although I didn’t get to see as many music gigs as I would have liked but the 2 trips to see the Take That Progress Tour was totally worth it! Also, I was very pleasantly introduced to Feeder at Ann’s birthday.
- A big event for me was my Cochlear Implant Journey, starting in February until December. I couldn’t ask for a better present to happen to em, that brought hearing back to my ‘dead’ ear.
- I’m also grateful for that 2011 has been a year that my parents weren’t in hospital for a change! The last few years have been tough for them and I couldn’t be more proud of both of them dealing with all last year. But this year, they have kicked back and enjoyed themselves.
- Managed to fit in doing some charity work for DELTA by helping out at their summer school. Completely worthy cause to work for and always make some great friends through it!
- A brief spell in modelling. I won’t expand more haha.
- And finally, reaching my 26th Birthday. Definitely got more mature but also a lot more immature as well!
After a quietish year, I’m determined that 2012 will be a an absolutely eventful year! How? Just wait and see…
What are your 2011 reflections?
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