2016: What a year!

Looking back on 2016, I really think most of us aren’t happy with a lot of the outcomes- it seemed as if there was always a bad news story, the odds never quite in our favour. But, seeing as I want to try and start taking a positive outlook for 2017, here are some of my favourite parts of this year:

In June I took a trip to London with Mum, Rob and my cousin Grace. It was by far one of my favourite trips when we were able to explore London for the day, visiting the Peggy Porschen bakery, finding secret little parks and pretty doorways around Belgravia, taking photos outside Liberty and (my absolute favourite) getting to visit the Kate Spade shop on Regent Street! My birthday money was definitely well spent on a new bag, of course.

We took our usual holiday to Skegness, and whilst it certainly wasn’t as much of an adventure as our week in Dorset in 2015, sometimes what you need is a weekend away with your family. Staying in a caravan was certainly an…interesting experience, and after rounds of mini golf and visiting the aquarium we found ourselves trapped indoors for an entire evening in one of the worst storms we’ve ever seen. Fortunately, the weather did clear up enough for us to visit Mablethorpe, another favourite of mine.

I think the most significant part of this year was definitely starting university. It’s certainly been a whirlwind experience thus far, and not always an enjoyable one. During the first week I felt completely isolated due to living at home and missing out on Freshers Week, and was on the verge of wanting to drop out because of how anxious I was. It’s gotten better since, getting an A+ on my first exam wasn’t terrible, and whilst I still feel like I’m easing into it, I can’t wait for the opportunities that 2017 will bring (I’m both excited and terrified about my upcoming week in New York!)

The latest occurrence this year has been Mum and Rob’s wedding. We were frantically planning for just under a year, and then the day itself passed far too quickly. It was stressful at times, finding outfits and designing invitations, table plans and personalised CD covers, but it was all worth it in the end. I was part wedding planner part photographer for most of the experience, and I’ve lost count of how many photos I took on the day, but it was a beautiful October afternoon and now we can proudly call ourselves a proper family.

All I can say is bring on 2017! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this coming year will be even better than the last. Happy New Year, everyone!

–Jodie