One year on...

Somehow, with minimal thought or effort, it is a year since I posted my last blog post.

I've just re-read it, and I can't believe it was a review of 2013.  I honestly don't know where 2014 went, and now, all of a sudden it's 2015!

What?!


Not going to lie, 2014 wasn't the easiest year. But it sure as hell wasn't anywhere near as bad as the one before.

2014 was a year of huge achievements, with things that seemed impossible a year ago just sort of happening.

Finishing counselling in December 2013 was a huge step, and going back to 'real life' in January was big and overwhelming and scary, but also deceptively easy. I didn't fall to pieces the first time I had to make a decision or buy something bigger than one meal at a time. The world didn't implode, and the sky didn't fall in on my head. Huh. Turns out humaning isn't impossible after all!

One of the huge highlights of 2014 was my Guiding world. I rediscovered how much I really do love being a Brownie leader, and have thrown myself back into weekly meetings with a much more positive outlook. In May we had a fab Alice in Wonderland themed sleepover with my lovely friend's Brownies, and later in the year an exhausting (but fun) Frozen-themed pack holiday.

In 2014 we celebrated the Big Brownie Birthday - 100 years since the younger sisters of the (relatively new) Girl Guides asked for something for them. The Big Brownie Birthday gave me the opportunity to visit some of Girlguiding's training centres, bringing India to hundreds of Brownies from across the UK at two World Centres weekends. I'm now determined to go to India and visit the WAGGGS World Centre, Sangam, before too long!

Outside of Guiding, I have done a lot of travelling, around Scotland and the UK, and further afield - AND we went on an actual holiday for a week in North America, exploring Toronto, Niagara Falls, and returning to New York to do the bits of touristing we missed last year. I'm looking forward to even more travelling in 2015, starting with a 'grand tour' of Europe next week!

So.  Now it's the middle of January 2015.

Although I've not blogged for a year, I haven't stopped writing, and I'm planning to share more of my short stories and flash fiction with you this year. I'm also going to keep blogging, although posts may be sporadic. Why? Because...

I've decided to do another degree, to try and improve on the 2:2 I got for my first undergraduate degree, so on 8th February I will begin a BA (hons) in International Studies through the Open University. It may take years to finish, but I'm determined to do better than I did before!

Like last year, I'm not going to set resolutions that I'm not going to keep. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and enjoy being me for a while.

Let's see what happens...!