8 Things I Achieved in 2015

BLOGMAS DAY TWENTY.

I know that we're a mere five days away from Christmas, but right now I'm focused on another occasion that's looming on the horizon: New Year. I actually really enjoy New Year, and January is usually one of the best months for me in terms of motivation and confidence. Things to tend to burn out a little come February, but that's beyond the point... Either way, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to achieve next year, and also what I've achieved this year. I didn't feel like I'd done much of note this year, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I've done some pretty great things. Grab yourself a hot drink of choice and some biscuits, this post is going to be a long one!

1. Attended an All Time Low concert. Just typing this makes me want to cry! I'm a true pop punk princess at heart, and All Time Low has always been one of my favourite bands. Their music saw me through one of the darkest periods of my life, but around the age of 15/16 I kind of lost my sense of self and in turn stopped listening to them so that I could listen to the music everyone else was listening to. This year, I feel like I've finally become to person I've always wanted to be and All Time Low's music has once again become a huge part of my life. This February, mere days after my 20th birthday, my mum and I took the long drive to Cardiff and I saw All Time Low live. They played Weightless and Therapy and A Love Like War, and they even played Something's Gotta Give live for the first time ever. I never would have dreamed that I could have even lasted the drive without having a panic attack, let alone the entire show. I honestly can't express how much that night means to me.

 

2. I got my nose pierced. Getting my nose pierced had always been something of a distant dream for me. My overwhelming fear of needles was obviously a huge factor, and the fact that we weren't allowed to have piercings whilst I was studying at college. I'd messaged the same piercer a few times asking about pricing and appointment times but never really committed... and then one day I decided that the few seconds of pain I'd experience with the needle was worth having the piercing for what I'm hoping is a long time. I'm actually considering going back and having the other side done! Thinking about getting your nose pierced? I documented the first week!

 

3. Went on holiday with my Dad. Another huge anxiety-related achievement. I went on holiday to Somerset with my dad for five days this June, which was the first holiday I'd been on with him since before he was diagnosed. I was so nervous about it because I always get incredibly homesick, and also because I was worried my dad would need medical help and I'd be the person that would have to deal with ringing the ambulance etc. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about because dad was mostly okay for the trip (aside from the final night) and it was so so so incredibly lovely to spend the quality time with him. We went swimming and visited Burnham and Weston, and ate ice cream on the beach and played in the arcade. If you'd like to see some of the photos I took whilst on holiday, check out my Postcards from Somerset.

 

4. Became cruelty-free. Becoming cruelty-free was actually my New Years Resolution for 2015, and I think I've gotten on pretty well! I've made a few mistakes along the way and have had to live without a lot of beauty bits whilst I was slowly replenishing my stock, but it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

 

5. Completely stopped eating fish. When I become a vegetarian in July 2014, I made the decision to continue eating fish - as long as it was an 'eating out' situation. I am a massively fussy eater and get stressed out over food very easily, so I wanted to make it a bit easier for myself by allowing myself to order fish if I was at a restaurant. After I got home from my holiday this year I decided that it was time to ditch the fish completely, and although it makes me quite panicky when I go out to eat, I'm glad I've finally made the transition.

 

6. Reached my one-year-self-harm-free milestone. I can't remember the exact date that I last self-harmed, but I know it was sometime towards the end of August last year so I decided the cut-off date would be September 1st. This year I reached my one year free milestone, and I'm determined to celebrate again this year, by reaching two years. To mark the occasion this year, I threw together a little blog post listing 10 Self-Harm Alternatives to help anyone still struggling.

 

7. Left therapy early. I started attending an art therapy group in December of last year, and I was due to leave in July of this year but I decided to leave early and I'm so glad I made the choice. It had gotten to the point that it was no longer helpful and I didn't like the other people in the group, so I left for the sake of my own sanity. I began to dread attending and I found that I was always more anxious and miserable when I had to go. I made the decision to leave early and I felt a lot healthier right away.

 

8. Made amends with one of my best friends. When I was at college I met someone who quickly became my very best friend, but during our second year things got really difficult between us and it ended up that we didn't speak for about a year afterwards. This year we met up again and I'm so glad that we did. It's not the same as it was before, but I'm not surprised or bothered by this. I'm just so happy that I have her back in my life!

 

It's safe to say that this year has possibly been the best year of my entire life. I almost don't want to turn 21 because being 20 has been amazing! Of course there have been horrible, unspeakable moments but for once I'm able to see the light and shade of the year and appreciate it as a whole, instead of just seeing the darkness. I will be updating you all on my progress with my list of 2015 Goals before the New Year, so keep an eye out for that if you're interested!

 

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