2017 is drawing to a close v. fast. It only feels like yesterday the sun was shining and the UK was sweating with some kind of crazeeeey heatwave. However, as the year is coming to an end, I am taking some inspo off of Hannah Gale who dropped a cute post today about her favourite moments of 2017.
A lot has happened in 2017 yet it’s passed by in quite a blur. Luckily my hobby (obsession?) of taking pictures, means I’ve captured a fair number of things. So we shall start the list off.
Dublin: In March, me and two of my friends got up at 3am, drove to the airport and landed in Dublin an hour after we stepped on the plane. We spent 4 days in this glorious city and it was wonderful. Honestly, I didn’t fall in love with the city itself, but we took a train and went a little outside and THAT ladies and gents in the place to be. The sights and the scenes were amazing. Ireland is on my bucket list to go again, but I would quite like to explore the scenes outside of the touristy areas. But I’ll say this, being met with the above sight when you’re in Dublin is nothing short of beautiful.
Simple Plan: I dragged my boyfriend to come see an all time favourite band of mine earlier this year and it was the first concert I had been to in YEARS. It did not disappoint. I fell in love with Simple Plan back in the early 00’s and I am still madly in love with them now. They were doing the ‘No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls’ tour to celebrate 15 years of their first album. It was one of the best nights of my life. Top notch evening, made better with Conner saying I could go on his shoulders hehe.
Crete: Towards the end of March, Conner’s mum mentioned booking a family holiday. I was not opposed to the idea for the simplicity that I hadn’t been aboard in about 4 years and I actually had the money to swan off to a remote island (a fairly cheap one still). We booked an all inclusive holiday to Crete, in an adult only hotel and it was a dream. It was so nice to spend time with Conner’s family, experience the Greek culture, explore the cute little taverns and shops. One of the best parts of the holiday was actually a moment when I was by myself however. I woke up at 5:45 am on the second to last day of the holiday. Our hotel was a stone’s throw from the beach. I got into some jeans, and threw on a hoody and ended up on the shore. I strolled up and down with my head in its own little world. The island was still fast asleep. Seagulls were squawking and nothing was more peaceful than the sound of the waves crashing against the sand, it was so cliche and I loved it. I witnessed one of the most beautiful sun rises too, and to this day, it’s still one of the best moments. Next time, I’m dragging Conner’s ass out of bed to witness it with me.
One Year Anniversary at Work: I celebrated my one year anniversary at my first FULL TIME PUBLISHING JOB this year. Which also means I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of being friends with some of the most amazing people I’ve had the joy of meeting. I adore the close nature of my team and how we are all so different but how well we get on. Friends make the job worthwhile and I am so thankful for these beans.
Moving to London: This here is a big’un. It is one of my all time favourite moments, but it is also one I am most proud of. A few years ago, I would never of dreamed of moving to the capital city. No way. I’ve mentioned it in a few blog posts here and there, but it is honestly something I had never considered. I didn’t consider it when I did my Masters knowing full well that the only publishing jobs around were really based in London. I didn’t imagine it when I moved from Plymouth to Surrey for a year and started looking for work or even when I got my full time job right in the centre of London. There was nothing in my body that screamed, you’re moving to London until well, I did. Con and I now rent a spacious flat in Crystal Palace and it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made. Plus it’s pretty cute right?
Graduation Round 2: I was a frazzled mess on my graduation day. I forgot how hilly Plymouth was and decided to walk in platform wedges to the Hoe (a good 25 minutes from my hotel), it was windy, my hat kept blowing off my head but looking back, it was one of the best days. I had my family with me, I had Conner’s mum. Our mums met for the first time in 6 years (yeah… don’t ask) and my bestest friend was there too. We had a few drinks, I had prosecco with our late lunch. We ordered Dominos to our hotel room later in the evening and oh. I graduated from a Masters course with a DISTINCTION in Publishing. Winning.
Meeting Michael Malarkey: Oh My God. Ohmygod. OMGOSH. I’m still not one hundred percent sure this is even real? Did this happen? Like are you sure? I reconnected with one lovely lass from my college days on Twitter a few years after finishing college. We gushed over our love for all things Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Many people (especially at his gig) knew Michael as Enzo from TVD. But Chloe and I were also aware he was pure magic and had one of the most talented vocals ever. Listen to his tunes please. I BEG. Anyway, he released his latest album ‘Mongrels’ this year and is currently touring. Chloe and I managed to snag some meet and greet tickets in London and low and behold IT ACTUALLY FUCKING HAPPENED. I can’t even express how much it was a dream come true. We got to meet him, talk to him, touch him…. listen to him play. Watching him perform was one of the most enchanting experiences of my life to date. It was made better when Chlo and I were singing our hearts out to ‘Uncomfortably Numb’ and he just gets off the stage, walks through the crowd, stands next to us and starts singing with us…. My god. I’m still not over it.
Brighton with my Best Girl: 2017 marked me turning the big 2.5. Yeah I am half way to 50. I am small and look about 15 but I am honestly 25. Legit. I had the joy of celebrating it with some of the best people, including this girl. My actual birthday was a hoot, I was so drunk and was loving life with my favourite beans. At 3am after surviving the night bus for the first time and managing to keep down the drunk McDonalds we scoffed on the way home, Poppy and I both decided it would be a great time to open the presents Poppy had bought for me. There were some tears and ‘Y U SO CUTE TO ME’ moments
One of the presents was actually a hotel voucher for a cute one night stay in a sea-front hotel in Brighton. Poppy and I have a thing about being by the sea. Poppy grew up sailing, I had numerous trips to Plymouth a a child. We connect on a different level to any other friendships I have ever had, or have ever known and it is truly scary how well she knows me inside and out. She surprised me with a one night stay in this harbour hotel in Brighton, and it probably is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received in my 25 years of being. She knew how much I wanted to escape being twenty five, and nailed the present. We got to pretend that we weren’t half way to fifty – even if leaving our PJS on the radiator and coming home before 1am to put them on and get into bed says otherwise.
I won’t go on and on because it will turn into a love story because she is my soulmate but I will say I started my year with her being my best friend, and I am going to end this year and enter 2018 with her being best friend.
SO AHEM, Yeah. That’s a round up of some of my favourite moments of 2017. Here’s to Christmas and to the New Year.
Ramblings of a Country Gal 