Tan By the Sea: Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

I remember when I first started blogging (before blogging on this platform), I used to have an actual title for every post. Upon starting this blog, I got very lazy due to the SUPER FREQUENT output of blogs, so I decided that using dates as the titles would be the easy thing to do. Not saying that I will completely stop using dates as titles (they have served me well aside from just being the easy way forward), but since I'm blogging a lot less now, I can definitely make the effort to come up with more proper blog titles!

How was everyone's 2017? Are you pleased with the achievements you have made? Are you able to let go of the things that burden your soul? Were you better able to understand yourself this year?

I think the theme for me (not just limited to 2017, but in the last couple years or so) was re-learning the importance of happiness (even before Inside Out movie was out, but that's a great illustration). Long story short, happiness is temporary (i.e. working really hard towards a goal may not be all roses and giggles, but you keep doing it because it will lead to something that means a lot to you). I can't seem to find the first article I read that triggered this concept in my head, but it's definitely been a good note to have in my past year and a bit in the UK.

Not saying that being in the UK is bad, but being here away from most of my friends and my family, having rough or super busy periods at work, still finding things about the British system that annoys me, are all things that "take away" happiness every so often. But I am ok with all this because it brings me closer to my definition of success - whatever the fuck that may be (that thought is also changing).

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In the beginning of 2017, I said in my very first blog post for the year:

May 2017's be filled with more incredible life lessons, strengthening of relationships, travel, adventures, awesome food, and purpose. I would also love to read more and maybe even get back to dancing (if budget permits) or get Samir in better shape. Cheers to all the small happiness that will come my way.

I don't remember if I touched on this, but when I first moved to the UK, being away from friends and family and being in a world-class foreign environment that screams "Privilege", and yet still feeling lonely, made me... unhappy. Contradicting myself here, but while long term satisfaction does not mean always being happy, I did need the daily dose of life's sugar to get through the rougher emotional patches. I started to log every day things in my life that made me happy.

In the beginning, I had a lot of things like finished an efficient code for work, attending work events, making food with Samir and Amelia, and just random "mundane" things like that. The thing is, my last entry in this log was in August, and I actually read them all a few weeks ago and teared up slightly. I thought about continuing to write in this, but I knew the reason for logging the daily things in my life to make me smile was to fill the void on the times that I was alone. So while I appreciate being able to remember the fun things that happened throughout the year, it wasn't something that I should be doing long term. There are many other ways to remember what I did and this simply wasn't emotionally necessary anymore. For that, I definitely give myself a little pat in the back and even more determination to strive on.

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New Year's resolutions? I never really had concrete resolutions. I did get myself a new camera tripod over Boxing Day, so Cameron and I are going to brave the rainy weather and go for some adventures. As though Cameron and lenses aren't already heavy enough, the tripod adds another 1.5 kg to my equipment. But I travel light anyway, so it's not too much of a burden! Hopefully nicer photos and way more stable travel videos (which I don't ever share cause I'm so shitty at videos) coming your way.

Not so much a resolution because it wont finish this year, but definitely get cracking on my UK scrapbook in 2018. That will be what my quiet weekends will be for since I got most of the things I need to begin! That aside, I would say to continue with my 2016 "resolutions" or mantra.

The rest of this post is for all you readers who dislike reading (aka photo highlights that didn't end up in this blog or my Facebook page), enjoy and Happy 2018!