It’s an exclamation you’ve probably heard a million times in the past few weeks, but one that holds true – this year has just flown by! (You may have heard this in alternative formats such as, “Where has this year gone?!” or “It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since last Christmas!“)

I spent my 2017 in the vibrant City of Culture – celebrations were in place from the second the clock hit 00:00 on January 1st, hotels in Hull found themselves fully booked as people flocked from around the country, and the year was full of colour and culture, music and magic, tears of pride and tears of joy, all in a whirlwind of excitement and revelry.

Much like the City of Culture year, my year passed in a whirlwind of emotions on a personal level too. Heartbreak, happiness, exhilaration, fear, helplessness, hopefulness. My mind travelled through the entire spectrum of human emotion over the months, and as a result, I can honestly say 2017 was both the best and the worst year of my life.

Quite the contradiction, right?

Thing is, this year is the year I’ve been the most broken, crushed, humiliated and let down by multiple people in my life. I’ve been lied to, made a fool of, and lost varying levels of relationships along the way.

And yet, it’s also the year I’ve come out of each dark spot happier than I’ve been previously, and absorbed a wealth of incredible experiences.

I’ve had days where I’ve wanted to do nothing but curl up in the dark and sleep time away in hopes I’ll wake up feeling better – cos time’s meant to be a healer, right? But somehow I’ve managed to find a little something to overcome each dark day and find a bit of happiness again.

I’ve truly immersed myself in my job over the past year and absolutely adore my team and what I do. I’ve mastered the art of using my holiday days wisely in order to explore the world further and escape the strain of everyday life for a short while each and every month. My passion for gigging has been reignited after booking a Kings of Leon gig purely on a whim, simply because a guy I dated suggested I should when I spoke animatedly about them. I helped some of my friends enjoy their last night of freedom and experienced hen dos for the first time. I’ve picked up piano lessons and found a new kind of satisfaction in mastering a new piece of music… albeit it very short, simple pieces for now.

And, probably most importantly, I’ve realised I’ve got a bloody amazing set of friends and family around me who are there for me no matter what. Even if they do get bored of my ranting, which surely they must do… 😅

So I’m making it my aim to focus only on the good stuff. I’m looking back at the incredible opportunities and experiences 2017 brought me, and preparing myself for all of the spectacular things 2018 has waiting for me. Bring it on. 💪🏼

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As if all of that excitement isn’t enough, I’m also going to become an auntie again in 2017, I’m determined to get my fitness back into gear, and I’m heading back to Walker Stalker Con for the third year running, and I cannot bloody wait.

What are you excited for in 2018?

*This post was sponsored by Travelodge and Last Night of Freedom, but as always, words are my own!