Two Thousand & Seventeen

So it would seem I took a little break from writing this year, and instead I’ve lived 2017 off paper, enjoying what it brought me and probably spending a little too much time watching Netflix. As I was saying to someone just the other day, I found my writing a great way to capture a moment in time and come back to it later and re-immerse myself in memories, or even just thoughts I’d had at a particular time.

2017 was a little different – this time around I have captured the year in photos – a much more instant way to secure moments in time, and great for Apple as I have now succumbed to paying a monthly fee to get more storage on my iPhone. However, while doing a little reflecting on the past 12 months, I decided I wanted to wrap up the year with a few words, and set the scene for me to write much more next year (basically I didn’t just want to throw a blog up out of the blue after almost a year of silence from this little website).

My twenty-fourth year on this planet brought me a lot of joy, and taught me a lesson or two along the way. I’ll be honest, the start of the year wasn’t great for me. New Year’s Day I was suffering from potentially the worst hangover of my life (no exaggeration) and facing a three-hour drive to our friends’ bach, on windy roads that have caused me a lot of car sickness over the years. The silver lining to that is that my year could only get better, and get better it did. So, the following is a few snippets of the last 12 months…

January taught me that even if you don’t feel like going to the event, it’s usually worth showing up. It could be the best thing you ever do.

February reminded me that it will always be the best month of the year, and that’s not just because it includes my birthday.

March showed me that you really can’t beat good friends.

April introduced me to the beauty that is Scotland, and opened my eyes to a country that shares many similarities with my homeland.

May taught me that it’s not cheap to eat in Norway, but they do offer reindeer on the menu and that’s not something you have on your pizza every day.

I learned in June that cycling 23 miles around a reservoir is great, except for the two days that follow it…

July was a great reminder that exploring your own backyard can be just as breath-taking as further afield.

August taught me that your jandals are never safe with dogs around. They can be subtle as a brick when you take them for a walk through town at the crack of dawn, yet have the stealth of an MI5 agent when they want to destroy your footwear.

I discovered in September that it doesn’t get much better than playing tour guide/chauffeur for your parents’ European Adventure, and seeing them overawed by the very places that leave you speechless too.

October continued the family theme, and proved that you’re never too old to go on holiday with your parents.

November was a lesson in the kindness and generosity of almost strangers: you never know when you’ll end up with front row tickets to watch the world’s best sports team play.

Finally, having not packed my life up for sixteen months, December was a reminder that you always have so much more stuff than you realise, and moving to a new house highlights that.

I’m fortunate to have had a wonderful year and really enjoyed my first Christmas in England, however I do believe it’s important to remember that not everyone will have enjoyed 2017 quite as much, and to be grateful for the blessings that do come our way.

So, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and harmonious 2018, and I look forward to putting pen to paper a lot more in the months to come.

“Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.” – Unknown.

That’s all for now,

Jordyn