Another Year Gone By…

Another year has passed and I can’t help but wonder how fast the year has sped past on. Can you remember the first hour of 2018? I can like it was yesterday – and it was such a wonderful feeling ringing in the new year in a place I never thought I’d be. It was special, it was heart wrenching, it was amazing and it was sad.  I’m a mixed bundle of emotions at New Year’s – the retrospection of the past year mixed with the exciting unwritten journey ahead makes my head spin in different directions. I remember bringing in 2018 thinking that this year was going to difficult but it was also going to be one of the best there was. Oh boy – I had no idea what I was in for. 😉

As time flew by, I always thought it would be difficult making friends with people, especially those you could truly connect with on more than just a superficial layer. But this year – that myth was shot in the head <I think I need to give “Criminal Minds” a break>.  There are a few people whose paths crossed mine and I’m grateful that happened. Today,  I can count on them if my life depended on it. We’ve shared our fun times and sob stories alike, we’ve opened up our homes to each other, we’ve pushed each other to do better and most of all – we’ve been there for each other as best as we could. To every single new friend I’ve made this year, all I can say is “THANK YOU!”. Thank you for all the good times and the learnings! You guys are supergeil!

As much as I loved my Geography teacher, Mrs. Jacob, from school – I was never splendidly good at it. History as a subject didn’t pique my interest too much either. Countries I studied about were never countries I thought I’d want to visit. Yes, I knew I wanted to visit certain places (read New York and Switzerland) but my list of places to visit were fairly limited until this past year. This year was a year of travel. We visited countries that I’d been wanting to visit for a while now and there were countries that I’d never even dreamt of visiting. Driving around the land of fire and ice in a camper van, cruising along the Bosporus and continent hopping, being in the midst of the Alps, having our fill of Tapas and Sangria as well as spending some time with our friends and family back home was what made this year beyond beautiful for me. 2018 taught me that nothing is impossible – dream it, work towards it and it will happen. Super happy for all the wonderful travel experiences we’ve had this year.

Like always, life isn’t always perfect. I’ve learned a lot this year. Learning to let go being one of them. Things don’t always go as planned or situations don’t steer in the direction you would like it to go. Some things get fixed and that’s always good, but sometimes they don’t. What breaks stays broken and that’s ok. There’s no point forcing connections that no longer exist. I’ve learnt that letting go is a good way to heal and move forward. As long as you’re surrounded by the right people who positively influence you – everything will be alright. That being said, I’m grateful for my family and friends that I have and love. Grateful for a family that is happy for you and friends who are the best-est!

2018 has been a crazy-beautiful year – one with many, many lessons learnt. It’s been a year of learning, of growth, of opportunity, of new experiences, of forgiveness and most importantly – it was a year filled with love. It’s been a good year – and I’m hoping it was for you too. If not, hey, there’s always this year to make it YOUR year! Dream it, work for it and it will happen! Wishing you the best this year has to offer!

Lots of Love,

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