2014 has without a doubt been the best year of my life. It has marked some pretty amazing events and achievements, cemented some of the best friendships of my life, and it was the year that I started my blog.
Looking back to this time even just two years ago I find it hard to believe how much my life has changed. I have gone from studying at Art school, hoping to pursue a career in animation, thinking I would live and work in London for the rest of my life, to moving back to Manchester, meeting some of the best friends I have ever had, studying towards a degree in something that I love, and actually being happy. Some of the choices I have had to make over the past few years were not easy, but now I can confidently sit here and say that it was these struggles, revelations and changes that have come to play a part in making me the person I am today, and in turn have made the last 12 months the best of my life.
Clockwise from top left:
1. January - The start of a year is always a difficult one for me, as I feel that it is our successes and failures within this month that can alter your mind set and determine the positivity (or lack of) that you approach the rest of the year with. This picture was taken the day I moved back to Manchester after Christmas, showing my 15th floor view overlooking the city centre. I seriously miss this view now that my bedroom stares directly into an office block.
2. February - This was probably the first month where I realised that worrying and stressing will not change what is meant to happen. It was the month that I sat down and wrote my first ever blog post... It's still quite hard to comprehend how much my blog has grown and become such an integral part of my life since then.
3. March - The month I turned 20. It was a weird birthday for me... it felt strangely 'grown up', no more teenage years... However, it was definitely one of my best birthdays to date. My birthday the previous year was awful, so I was seriously dreading this one, which I think was what made it all the better when I realised there were lots of people who truly care about me and made it a very special day.
4. April - Me and my boyfriend went to Iceland, one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life. I have never experienced anything as breathtaking as seeing the Northern Lights and doubt I will ever experience anything to top that.
5. May - I celebrated another anniversary with Jonny... We both take the same view that it is scary how long we have been together considering we are so young, but ever since I have known him he has always been 100% supportive of me. He is the only person who knows exactly what my incredibly introverted mind is thinking, even when I haven't uttered a word.
6. June - I spent the month in London on an internship as a Fashion Buyer at the House of Fraser head office. An amazing experience, but one that I was absolutely shitting it for. It was the first time I had lived in London since moving back up North, and it was such a daunting prospect. But I proved myself wrong, it was an incredible month filled with amazing experiences and I got to share so much of it with friends who were living down there too.
7. July - July marked two trips to majorca, the first with my parents and boyfriend, and the second with my first ever friend and both our mums... I don't think I've ever laughed so much over the space of month in my whole life. (..oh and there was the small fact that I found out my blog had been shortlisted to win Best New Beauty Blog in the Cosmo Blog Awards).
8. August - Another internship, this time in Manchester in fashion marketing with swimwear and fitness wear company South Beach Swim. It was during this month that I knew that I was pursuing the right career... the people I worked with were amazing and it felt so incredible to be working as a 'full time blogger' for five weeks.
9. September - Dubai. The most incredible week of my life. Me and three people that mean so much to me just shared so many unbelievable memories. Swimming with dolphins, paddle boarding, going up the tallest tower in the world and having night time snuggles with copious amounts of chocolate.
10. October - The Cosmo Blog Awards. There really isn't much more I can say other than I still can't believe I made it into the top 9 in my category from 47,000 entries. Thank you again to everyone that has supported me... it seriously means a lot.
11. November - Busy busy busy. November was a stressful month for me, I had a lot of uni work to submit, but I did it, and still managed to attend a lot of amazing blogger events too with some of the nicest blogging girls I know.
12. December - Finding out that I was shortlisted to win 'Young Person's Recognition' in the UK Blog Awards was the absolute cherry on top of an amazing year... Oh and what better way to end the year than with another holiday to Majorca with my family.
