Monday 9 January 2017

My 2016

2016 started off pretty averagely, for me. January saw my GCSE mocks come around – hundreds of 15/16-year-olds freezing in a hall and gym while trying to remember anything they could. However, despite them, January was alright for me. I had a few shopping outings with friends and my mum after being given some vouchers for Christmas! An average month, but good all round I’d say.


February 2016 is a month I hope I never forget, and I would go as far to say that some of its days were the best of my life. During the first part, I took part in my school production of West Side Story, playing my violin in the pit band. That whole week was great, even if exhausting. During the half term, I spent 5 days in Nice, in the south of France, with a wonderful group of friends from school. I was so happy during those few days and I wish I could go back and relive it several times. I’m determined to return to Nice at some point – I just fell in love with the place.






Again, March was a pretty dull one. It was filled with seemingly endless revision and coursework and I’m pretty sure I spent more time in school than at home.


The Easter holidays rolled from March into April, not bringing much of a break of revision mind you. However, I did have more chance to relax over the holidays, which I’m glad to say I did. My family and I went to watch Judgement Day in the Millenium  Principality Stadium. It’s basically a day where 4 local rugby teams compete, which I loved as it had been a while since I’d been to a rugby match!


With May came my blog’s first birthday! That makes me so proud and to think it’s not even that long until the second one! Exams were also in full swing by the end of the month, but I found that I was less stressed than I thought I would be as I’d done a lot of work in the run up to exams, giving me more chance to rest and relax when it came to the actual things (in other terms, it meant I could binge watch all of Downton Abbey. #soznotsoz.)

June was better. I still had exams, but they were less frequent and I had more flexibility with my time and had more of it to focus on each subject. At the beginning of the month, I met Giovanna Fletcher while she was on her book tour in my local Waterstones. That was incredible as I love her books and am a huge fan of her in general. Safe to say, it was a highlight! At the end of the month, I finished my exams and had my prom! It was a good night spent with friends and I genuinely felt so pretty!



In July, the blog Through Our Eyes started and I met an amazing group of bloggers!

Having an extended summer is probably the thing that is most evident about this year, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I did spend a lot of it lying in bed, or outside in a paddling pool (yeah I’m cool), or on the sofa watching friends, although I did write a lot, read a lot and visit lots of places. My family, some family friends and I went to CenterParcs for a weekend, which was a great way to relax properly after my exams.


Then, I visited some old friends in Wales for roughly 6 days, and as they were all off after exams as well it was great spending more time with them in a place that I love.


After returning home, my nan and I spent 4 days in London. I actually love the city and love it even more, every time I go there. I learned so much and had such a great time! We saw 2 shows (we had planned one but then there was a bit of a change of plans), visited some seriously interesting places such as Shakespeare’s Globe, Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court and the Royal Albert Hall (where I went to my first prom!!). I have to say I loved July.


For 10 days in the middle of August, my family and I went on holiday to Dubrovnik in Croatia. Admittedly, we didn’t spend much of the time being particularly active, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the old city was both interesting and pretty!


September was the month I started college, but before that, my friend Katie and I went to Bath on a day trip and we both fell in love with the city. A lovely day spent with a lovely person. Starting college also meant meeting lots of new people and getting closer to others I already knew, some of which are now my absolute favourite people! I do remember being really happy in September. It was a good month.


October was a mixed month. My birthday was such a good day, I felt so loved and happy. A family member was injured near the beginning of the month though and the problems that came from that dragged out over the course of the next two months (they’re alright now, though!). I did enjoy seeing more of my friends in half term at various Halloween parties and just in general.


In November I finished the first draft of my first novel – definitely something I will remember forever! Two of my friends had birthdays, so we went out for meals that were lovely! Fantastic Beasts also came out and obviously had to see it straight away. I entered my first poetry competition. However, I won’t lie, I did spend a lot of time working in November.


December was a tired month. I worked and ground myself down, so I was glad I had the Christmas break coming up (even though I was ill for basically the first week). Christmas was lovely, spent with family and where we visited friends, eating food, reading and watching TV. When we came back, a group of friends and I went to London for one of my friend’s birthday. We saw Wicked (a musical we all adore!) and then had a meal on Southbank, which was amazing despite the poor weather!



Globally, I’m very aware that 2016 was a crappy year: Brexit, Trump, humanitarian crises and all the deaths should just about cover it.  And I can’t pretend that I haven’t been saddened and affected by that – some of the people that have unknowingly been a huge part of my childhood and whom I have looked up to and have inspired me (Alan Rickman, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds). I may write a post about some of them at some point. While the world may not be in good shape, I have experienced a lot this year and I now feel very happy; I have developed a love for poetry, have succeeded in my exams and have visited lots of places, spent a lot of time with friends and become much more interest in politics. In order to make this year better, we have to keep fighting for our beliefs and what’s right against what’s been happening in all areas of the world.




If you liked this post you might like: My 2015

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