Bring on 2019!

I don’t know about you, but I feel like this year has really gone by incredibly fast and I could barely keep up.  Sometimes it was incredibly shit and the days would drag by, but other days were amazing and I got to experience things that I’d never thought I’d get a chance to experience this young.

I was speaking to my boyfriend Luch the other day and trying to figure out what I’ve done with my time this year.  We didn’t get to go overseas like we planned, but that didn’t stop us from travelling locally.  And travel we did!

From a beautiful stone cottage with no electricity in the middle of nowhere, to a 5 star luxury train trip from Pretoria to Vic Falls.  No one can say that we didn’t spoil ourselves this year and that was exactly the plan.  I was tired of spending money on everyone else, but myself.  This year was different.

I achieved a few things this year as well.  I still don’t know how, but I actually managed to start a new novel.  Not only that, but I actually managed to complete a Nano (this writing thing that happens once a year where writers from all over the world get together online and sometimes in person to write 50 000 words in the month of November).

I made a new group of writer friends (I’ve never had writer friends before, so it’s epic) and we meet once a month for a chat session and some word sprints.  Besides new friends, I also reconnected with friends from primary school.  I started to eat vegetables.  I know this might seem like something small for most adults, but I’ve always hated veggies.  I felt like I needed to up my fruit and veggie intake though, so I’ve started making green smoothies every morning.  One step at a time.

I followed a pretty extreme high intensity exercise routine for over 6 months, which is pretty much the longest I’ve ever exercised.  I tried to change my habit of always waiting for big occasions to drink the good wine.  I feel like life is too short to drink the horrible R30 bottle every time we go to a friends house for a braai.

I even managed to get my head around the fact that I need to eat healthier next year, if for no other reason than to keep my thyroid in check.  A pretty important reason, since I’ve been struggling with it for 5 years now.

So, after thinking that I’d done nothing this year except complain about my job (before I quit of course :-)), it turns out that I actually did things.  I have tried every food market in Pretoria and some have been amazing.  I even went to outdoor movie nights, Christmas markets, music festivals.  My boyfriend and I ate good food, tried new restaurants and spent quality time with the people we love.  I even managed to cross a few things off my list of 100-ish things to do before I turn 40.

I’ve decided to make 2019 a brilliant year.  I’m already looking at flights to the US and planning one hell of a holiday in February.  Besides that, we also want to spend the rest of the year travelling around Europe and doing the oddest assortment of jobs that we can find (think training huskies to mush).

So instead of resolutions for 2019, which in every likeliness I’ll fail at (usually in the first month or so), I’ve decided to just enjoy my life.  Why not right?  I’m going to travel more.  I’m going to eat healthier.  I’m going to exercise every day (even if it is just running those huskies :-)).  I’m going to write and far more important than any of those, I’m going to be happy.

BRING ON 2019!!!  I’M READY FOR YOU!  HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM US TO YOU!