My Highlights of 2016 (and thoughts for 2017…)

I think I’ll end up looking back on 2016 with very mixed feelings.

Some of you may know that the past 6 months in particular have been… let’s say, trialling. I’ve tried not to burden this on anyone too much but it’s been hard to stay upbeat during this time. HOWEVER, whilst it’s tempting to think of 2016 as a write-off, I’ve realised that it definitely shouldn’t be.

This year has actually brought with it some true gems, and there are lots of things I should be feeling proud of and grateful for over the past 12 months, so I thought I’d share them here (if not only to act as a reminder when I look back in years to come):

1. Making amazing friendships

This has to be top on the list, and funnily enough it was my main ‘resolution’ for this year (to ‘make & keep more friends’). A lame goal, but a good one; and 2016 has over-delivered on this, if that’s even possible!

Y’all know who you are; and thanks to each and all of you for being amazing and supportive when I’ve needed to rant <3

2. Revisiting my fave places in Europe

This year we headed back to Barcelona in Spring for a short break to revisit our top picks from the previous trip, and then to Croatia for a bit of relaxation in June. Yes, it brought with it a little rain, but we had an amazing time and it definitely solidified my love for the country!

3. Going full-time freelance!

Earlier this year I made the transition to being fully freelance (doing branding & website design, if you didn’t know!), which is a huge life goal achieved! I still can’t quite believe I did this and how well it’s gone.

Yes it’s been difficult (especially navigating a work/life balance and trying to take time off etc… I’ll probably never get that quite right), but 100% worth it and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

4. Exploring more of Cornwall

I’ve made a big effort this year to explore more around Cornwall – to places like the Lizard and the South Coast around Marazion; the rough and wild places that are easy to forget about when you live near to the more touristy areas of Newquay and Truro. Below are some of my favourite adventures:

Coverack & Chynhall’s Point
Helford River: Grebe Beach
Wild Walks on Rinsey Head

5. Getting the ‘dream car’

Last year I published my ’30 before 30′ list (many of the items have probably changed in terms of priority now), but you may notice on the list is to ‘Own a Mini’.

Well, after my 2003 Corsa died (with great expense) back in May, I found myself in a position where achieving the Mini life goal was possible and I did it! And yes, it has been awesome.

6. More blog opportunities

This year I have been so lucky to have had lots of fantastic opportunities to visit new places, try new products and attend events because of this ‘ere blog, and I’m so grateful for all of it! Some of my faves included:

Working with Boohoo on fashion posts and a trip to their London Christmas party
Visiting MTV Crashes Plymouth & seeing Jess Glynne live
Enjoying a delicious feast night at Knightor Winery

(Shout out to Olivia who accompanied me on literally all of the above because I’m too awkward on my own!)

7. Home renovations completed!

This year we not only finished renovating our hideous outdoor ‘workshop’ into a beautiful home office, we also transformed both the main bedroom and spare bedroom too, and I love how everything turned out.

So…it has actually been a successful year! So much has happened it’s just easy to forget. However I am seriously looking forward to 2017; a year of lots of exciting plans and things to look forward to.

I’m not going to be setting any hard and fast ‘resolutions’ for the year as such, simply because I don’t think they are effective, but I will be making note of some goals and areas of focus for the next 12 months! Here are some of my ideas so far:

1. Try new types of exercise

The classic ‘exercise more’ resolution – I know. But I do a lot of exercise, mostly in the form of walking and hiking, but I’d like to vary it up a bit and maybe swim more often or do more yoga/workout classes.

2. Go meat free

This year I definitely achieved last year’s goal of trying more veggie/vegan recipes – I went vegan for a week and have seriously cut down on my animal product consumption over the last few months, and now in 2017 I’d like to go totally meat free.

3. Create more videos

This year I hope to work on my YouTube channel a bit and create more videos – even just short ones! I love filming and editing, it’s just the whole ‘vlogging’ thing I can’t quite get my awkward head around… but I’ll try!

4. Say yes to travel adventures

We already have some exciting trips planned for 2017 and I’m beyond excited! We’re heading out to Mexico in January for a week and we have some other plans later in the year too. Watch this space!

5. Learn to prioritise better

I’ve been reading Sarah Knight’s ‘The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k’* book and loving it; caring less about what people think of me and prioritising my ‘f**k budget’ to things that matter is something I seriously need to work on. (I’ll be posting about this book in more detail next week).

6. Practice conscious buying

As well as learning more about the meat industry this year, I’ve learned a lot about sustainability and generally where things I buy come from. It’s been really interesting and has definitely encouraged me to become a more conscious buyer, which I hope to continue into the New Year.

 

What are your highlights of 2016 and goals for the next 12 months?

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