I have a habit of looking forward too much, eager to get on with the future and forgetting all the amazing things I have already experienced. This post is inspired by two people I follow stalk on Twitter; you can read about their years here and here. I thought it was a wonderful idea to look back on my year and appreciate all the amazing things that have happened, as well as show appreciation to the amazing people I have done them with. So here are my top 15 moments of 2015...
1. TRIPS AND HOLIDAYS
The trip to London with my foundation girls in March was one of the most fun few days of the year. It was exciting to get to spend so much time with them, as we all live a bit of a distance away from each other, making it hard to spend time together outside of uni. I also took a short trip to Marrakech, Morocco in June, with my mum and my brothers girlfriend. This was my first time leaving Europe and it was a bit of a culture shock. But the scenery was wonderful, the food was delicious and the markets were filled with the most beautiful things. In July, my college friends and I stayed in Wales for a long weekend away, which we pretty much spent playing games and getting drunk. It's just nice to get away from your usual routine and spend time with people you love, even if it's not in the most exciting place.
2. GETTING IN TO UNI
I was so proud of myself for getting all 5 of my offers. The period before my interviews was one of the most stressful things I have experienced, as I was frantically putting together my portfolio and finishing work I probably should have done a long time ago. I knew that I wanted to go to Nottingham Trent as soon as I visited, so waiting to hear back from them was very tense. It all ended well with me getting an unconditional offer on to the course I am studying now.
3. MY FOUNDATION GIRLFRIENDS
My foundation course was amazing for so many reasons, but none more so than the people that I met. It was a scary time; all my high school and college friends had left for uni, and I felt a little left behind. But I soon realised everyone was in the same boat. I found myself a little friendship group and we grew closer as the year went on. We experienced all of the highs and lows of a very stressful and demanding course together, and I truly hope to stay friends with them for the rest of my life. They're the greatest bunch of girls I have ever met, and there's no one else I have more fun with!
4. PUTTING UP AN EXHIBITION
I'd done this before at A Level, but the course was very structured and everyone's work followed a similar layout. On my foundation course, I had complete creative freedom over the exhibition and the work behind it. I hit a few bumps along the way regarding printing, so not all of my work was finished to the quality I would have liked, but I'd done it! I'd organised my own photoshoot, filmed and edited my own short film, and created my own magazine and postcards. It was so satisfying to have all my hard work on show.
5. ACHEIVING A DISTINCTION FOR MY WORK
I have no idea how this happened, but I accept it and I am proud. I definitely put the work in, but my tutor was fairly critical of my work the entire year. Perhaps he was just doing it to push me to work even harder, if so - thank you Tony!
6. SEEING MY FRIENDS SUCEED
As much as I love my friends and wish I could have taken them to Nottingham with me, seeing them all dotted around the country pursuing their own dreams fills my little heart with pride. They're all so passionate about what they're doing and it's wonderful to see their progress.
7. BLOGGING MORE
This is something I keep trying to throw myself in to, but finding the time and inspiration is never easy. Thankfully my tutors expect us all to run blogs alongside our studies, so that's giving me the little kick up the bum that I need. Even if no one reads this, it's lovely to be able to write and publish my thoughts and opinions online.
8. MAKING NEW FRIENDS
I'll admit that university isn't quite as social as I expected it to be. I've struggled not having a close knit group of friends like I'm used to. I just have to keep reminding myself that it's still early days. I've already made a couple of close friends, as well as some other friends that I hope to grow closer to.
9. MEETING MY UNI BESTIE
This girl is just so fabulous she deserves a shout out of her own. I am so appreciative of having someone I can turn to for just about everything while I'm at uni. It's comforting to know that if I fancy a trip to The Pudding Pantry or a friend to accompany me to the cinema, Beth is the gal. We can chat for hours about anything and everything. We share similar thoughts and goals, and good advice is just a few doors down. I'm unbelievably lucky to have found someone I click with so well.
10. BECOMING MORE CONFIDENT
This time last year I never would have pictured myself comfortably standing up giving a presentation, or going on a first date with a stranger. My confidence has increased so much in 2015 and I couldn't be more thankful. One of my New Year's resolutions was to challenge myself to doing little things I'm not completley comfortable with, and so far this has been a really effective way of pushing and growing my confidence, and I hope it continues to grow.
11. SEEING MY PARENTS HAPPY
Earlier this year my parents split up. It was a very hard time for everyone and I used uni as a way to escape from all the drama. I wasn't sure how I was going to cope when I came home for Christmas and had to deal with it all again, but both my parents seem happier than ever and it's so wonderful to see. It was hard to deal with at the time, but knowing that they're both better off enables me to view the situation in a more positive light.
12. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: SAVAGE BEAUTY AT THE V&A
I never used to find visiting exhibitions that interesting, but perhaps I just never visited the right ones. In March I was lucky enough to get hold of tickets for the Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A, and I have never been so moved by a designers work. It exceeded all my expectations. The interiors were just as incredible as the garments that were held in them. The whole experience was weirdly overwhelming.
13. LEARNING TO APPRECIATE ALONE TIME
For those that don't know, I have really bad FOMO (fear of missing out). It kind of controls my entire life. I find myself doing things I don't particularly want to do just because I may miss out on something mildly entertaining. Since going to uni and being bombarded with the pressure of constantly being out of your room and socialising with people, I've really began to appreciate just staying in and watching Netflix on my own. Believe it or not, I've actually turned down a handful of nights out to stay in and catch up on The Vampire Diaries. Some people may find that sad, but for me it's a bit of an achievement.
14. BECOMING MORE INDEPENDENT
I've always been able to take care of myself, so the thought of moving to uni and having to cook for myself and do my own washing didn't really phase me. One of the things I've enjoyed most about living away from home is the sense of accomplishment of having adult responsibilities and actually doing them. Even though I knew how to use a washing machine at home, I could always rely on my mum to do it. Whereas at uni I can only rely on myself. Sometimes it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands to help, but it's also been really great for me to learn to take care of myself without having anyone else as a back up. There's nothing more satisfying that having a list of errands as long as your arm, getting up early on your day off, and just doing them all.
15. PROGRESSING WITH POLE
I started pole dancing last November, and it has been so rewarding to see my progress this year. I stopped going as much when I got to uni which I'm really annoyed at myself for. With everything going on, I put pole to the back of my priorities. But I am making a promise to myself that I will get back in to it in the New Year. It's so much fun and a great way to keep fit. Plus it's always entertaining to see people's reactions when you tell them.
And that's my year. There has been a lot of change for me in 2015, some of it good and some of it bad. This was a lovely way to look back and really appreciate how lucky I am to be surrounded by such lovely people and to be able to experience the things that I have. I'd really recommend everyone to think about their top 15 memories of this past year!
Aderyn x
1. TRIPS AND HOLIDAYS
The trip to London with my foundation girls in March was one of the most fun few days of the year. It was exciting to get to spend so much time with them, as we all live a bit of a distance away from each other, making it hard to spend time together outside of uni. I also took a short trip to Marrakech, Morocco in June, with my mum and my brothers girlfriend. This was my first time leaving Europe and it was a bit of a culture shock. But the scenery was wonderful, the food was delicious and the markets were filled with the most beautiful things. In July, my college friends and I stayed in Wales for a long weekend away, which we pretty much spent playing games and getting drunk. It's just nice to get away from your usual routine and spend time with people you love, even if it's not in the most exciting place.
2. GETTING IN TO UNI
I was so proud of myself for getting all 5 of my offers. The period before my interviews was one of the most stressful things I have experienced, as I was frantically putting together my portfolio and finishing work I probably should have done a long time ago. I knew that I wanted to go to Nottingham Trent as soon as I visited, so waiting to hear back from them was very tense. It all ended well with me getting an unconditional offer on to the course I am studying now.
3. MY FOUNDATION GIRLFRIENDS
My foundation course was amazing for so many reasons, but none more so than the people that I met. It was a scary time; all my high school and college friends had left for uni, and I felt a little left behind. But I soon realised everyone was in the same boat. I found myself a little friendship group and we grew closer as the year went on. We experienced all of the highs and lows of a very stressful and demanding course together, and I truly hope to stay friends with them for the rest of my life. They're the greatest bunch of girls I have ever met, and there's no one else I have more fun with!
4. PUTTING UP AN EXHIBITION
I'd done this before at A Level, but the course was very structured and everyone's work followed a similar layout. On my foundation course, I had complete creative freedom over the exhibition and the work behind it. I hit a few bumps along the way regarding printing, so not all of my work was finished to the quality I would have liked, but I'd done it! I'd organised my own photoshoot, filmed and edited my own short film, and created my own magazine and postcards. It was so satisfying to have all my hard work on show.
5. ACHEIVING A DISTINCTION FOR MY WORK
I have no idea how this happened, but I accept it and I am proud. I definitely put the work in, but my tutor was fairly critical of my work the entire year. Perhaps he was just doing it to push me to work even harder, if so - thank you Tony!
6. SEEING MY FRIENDS SUCEED
As much as I love my friends and wish I could have taken them to Nottingham with me, seeing them all dotted around the country pursuing their own dreams fills my little heart with pride. They're all so passionate about what they're doing and it's wonderful to see their progress.
7. BLOGGING MORE
This is something I keep trying to throw myself in to, but finding the time and inspiration is never easy. Thankfully my tutors expect us all to run blogs alongside our studies, so that's giving me the little kick up the bum that I need. Even if no one reads this, it's lovely to be able to write and publish my thoughts and opinions online.
8. MAKING NEW FRIENDS
I'll admit that university isn't quite as social as I expected it to be. I've struggled not having a close knit group of friends like I'm used to. I just have to keep reminding myself that it's still early days. I've already made a couple of close friends, as well as some other friends that I hope to grow closer to.
9. MEETING MY UNI BESTIE
This girl is just so fabulous she deserves a shout out of her own. I am so appreciative of having someone I can turn to for just about everything while I'm at uni. It's comforting to know that if I fancy a trip to The Pudding Pantry or a friend to accompany me to the cinema, Beth is the gal. We can chat for hours about anything and everything. We share similar thoughts and goals, and good advice is just a few doors down. I'm unbelievably lucky to have found someone I click with so well.
10. BECOMING MORE CONFIDENT
This time last year I never would have pictured myself comfortably standing up giving a presentation, or going on a first date with a stranger. My confidence has increased so much in 2015 and I couldn't be more thankful. One of my New Year's resolutions was to challenge myself to doing little things I'm not completley comfortable with, and so far this has been a really effective way of pushing and growing my confidence, and I hope it continues to grow.
11. SEEING MY PARENTS HAPPY
Earlier this year my parents split up. It was a very hard time for everyone and I used uni as a way to escape from all the drama. I wasn't sure how I was going to cope when I came home for Christmas and had to deal with it all again, but both my parents seem happier than ever and it's so wonderful to see. It was hard to deal with at the time, but knowing that they're both better off enables me to view the situation in a more positive light.
12. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: SAVAGE BEAUTY AT THE V&A
I never used to find visiting exhibitions that interesting, but perhaps I just never visited the right ones. In March I was lucky enough to get hold of tickets for the Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A, and I have never been so moved by a designers work. It exceeded all my expectations. The interiors were just as incredible as the garments that were held in them. The whole experience was weirdly overwhelming.
13. LEARNING TO APPRECIATE ALONE TIME
For those that don't know, I have really bad FOMO (fear of missing out). It kind of controls my entire life. I find myself doing things I don't particularly want to do just because I may miss out on something mildly entertaining. Since going to uni and being bombarded with the pressure of constantly being out of your room and socialising with people, I've really began to appreciate just staying in and watching Netflix on my own. Believe it or not, I've actually turned down a handful of nights out to stay in and catch up on The Vampire Diaries. Some people may find that sad, but for me it's a bit of an achievement.
14. BECOMING MORE INDEPENDENT
I've always been able to take care of myself, so the thought of moving to uni and having to cook for myself and do my own washing didn't really phase me. One of the things I've enjoyed most about living away from home is the sense of accomplishment of having adult responsibilities and actually doing them. Even though I knew how to use a washing machine at home, I could always rely on my mum to do it. Whereas at uni I can only rely on myself. Sometimes it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands to help, but it's also been really great for me to learn to take care of myself without having anyone else as a back up. There's nothing more satisfying that having a list of errands as long as your arm, getting up early on your day off, and just doing them all.
15. PROGRESSING WITH POLE
I started pole dancing last November, and it has been so rewarding to see my progress this year. I stopped going as much when I got to uni which I'm really annoyed at myself for. With everything going on, I put pole to the back of my priorities. But I am making a promise to myself that I will get back in to it in the New Year. It's so much fun and a great way to keep fit. Plus it's always entertaining to see people's reactions when you tell them.
And that's my year. There has been a lot of change for me in 2015, some of it good and some of it bad. This was a lovely way to look back and really appreciate how lucky I am to be surrounded by such lovely people and to be able to experience the things that I have. I'd really recommend everyone to think about their top 15 memories of this past year!
Aderyn x
No comments
Post a Comment