Yayy! It's 2017! Wow, how is 2016 over!? The last twelve months flew by ridiciously fast! I always like to end the year reflecting on all of the positivie things that happened, and so today's post is going to be an overview of all of my favourite memories from 2016. I would have had this post up earlier bt the first days of January have been pretty hectic for me so here's my post finally four days into the New Year, haha. I thought I'd also share my goals for 2017 with you as I know I love reading about other people's goals. I hope you all had an awesome time celebrating the start of the New Year, whether you danced drunkenly into the early hours like I did or had a cosy night in. Enjoy reading!
I've mentioned how me & my best friend became friends a few times on my blog but for my new readers, I'll recap :) We hung around with the same friends at high school, however my best friend is quite shy and back when we were 13, she was even more so which meant that we barely spoke. One day, a mutual friend of ours was absent from school and so it was just the two of us left together at break time. It was really awkward at first, just sitting together in silence haha. After searching my brain for something to start a conversation about, I noticed a Busted keyring on her backpack and chirped up something like 'oh my god, isn't Matt Willis so cute?!' And thus the friendship began, thanks to our shared love of Busted. 2016 marked ten years of us being best friends so when Busted announced their tour, it was almost like fate! Of course we had to get tickets and it felt special, as a way to celebrate our ten year friendaversary (I know, we are so cheesy!).
The gig was AMAZING, really nostalgic and it was awesome to so many people of our age group around us in the Manchester Arena, all embracing their teenage love of Busted. Matt Willis has gotten more gorgeous with age, just saying ;) They ended the concert with my favourite too, which is 'Year 3000' and the atmosphere was epic. Fellow Busted fans, what was yours?
This year I went on two holidays with my family and had such a lovely time on both. It was extra nice because I hadn't been on any with my family for ages. I love travelling, exploring new places and having the opportunity to 'go wild' with my camera. We visited North Wales, which is an absolutely breathtaking place with so much natural beauty. I got to see my first ever waterfall (read about it here) and it was so cool to stand there and get covered in the mist that sprayed as the water crashed against the rocks. We also visited Rhuddlan Castle. I'm a history lover so that was great fun. You also realise just how obsessed with the Song of Ice and Fire novels you are when it's all you can think about as you explore the ruins! I also went on a trip to Southport in September. We stayed at the same resort that we had when I was little and it was awesome to go back there, to see how much it has changed and to revive old memories. The local beach, Ainsdale beach, is wonderful; I love the sand dunes there.
I absolutely adore Pokemon. I have been a fan since I was six years old. It was really exciting when Pokemon Go was released this year and it was awesome to experience the hype that came from it. All of the shops took full advantage of the craze and made so much Pokemon merch! I've been able to get hold of loads of Pokemon things from my local shopping centre and it's kind of surreal. I even spotted Pokemon themed sex toys this year! As I'm writing the notes for this post, I'm sitting on my bed on a Pokemon duvet cover surrounded by Pokemon Build-A-Bear plushies! It makes me super happy. Oh my gosh these plushies though! Who else has got one? (or like me is guilty of buying all thrree that have been released so far?). They are really cute and such good quality. I've named my Eevee plush 'Rainer', my Pikachu is simply 'Pika' and my Charmander's name is 'Flamey'. All the cool kids name their plushies :)
Back in February last year, I went to see Bowling for Soup at Manchester Academy. This was the second BFS gig that I've been to. I thought the first gig was fabulous since it was held at Rock City nightclub in Nottingham City, so it felt like you were so close to the band on stage, vs when you're at a concert in an arena. But the gig in Manchester topped this big time because I actually met the band!! My best friend & I waiting outside at the back of the venue for an hour or so until the band came out to say hi to everyone! It was so epic to meet these guys since I've loved their music since I was fourteen. They were so friendly and really down to earth :)
Comic Con is always gonna be one of the highlights of my year! How can it not be? A venue filled with stalls to satisy every nerdy need, hundreds of fellow fangirls/boys dressed up as their favourite characters, everyone is happy and lovin' life. Seeing the effort that goes into everyone's cosplay just fills me with so much joy, especially when they are in character, expressing the mannerism/moves of whoever they are dressed as. It's a gathering of quirky people who will never fully grow up, and I feel right at home! What made last year's Comic Con such an awesome experience was that everyone loved my Totoro cosplay; it was so lovely and pretty flattering. Like in 2015, I was nervously asking fellow cosplayers if I could take their photos and then this time, people were asking me! I was so surprised :) They made me proud of my little amateur cosplay. Bring on next time!
I saw both The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Little Shop of Horrors in 2016. They are two of my most favourite musicals so it was epic to see them performed. Although I adored the Little Shop of Horrors- the new songs with a modern twist as well as how they created Audrey 2 and animated her so well, the Rocky Horror Picture Show musical was something else, on a whole new level! It was just wow! I loved the interaction that the narrator had with the audience, some of them were regular viewers as they would call out specific things to the narrator and it was really funny. I also thought that the performers voices were amazing, and I loved their energy :) I was super sad when it was over and wanted to see it again right away. If you are a fan of musicals and ever get a chance to go, seriously do it! If they announce another tour, I'm definitely going.
One of my goals for 2016 was to go on holiday with a friend and in May, I ticked this off the list when me & my friend Aaron decided it was about time that we went to watch the Eurovision Song Contest live. We are been big fans of the ESC for years and years now, and we had both always wanted to visit one of the Nordic countries. Mans Zelmerlow won the 2015 ESC for Sweden with his awesome song 'Heroes' so of course the next show would be held over in Sweden. We went to Stockholm for three days, to watch the Eurovision live in the Globen Arena there and also to do some sight-seeing. We expored Stockholm's Old Town, went to the ABBA Museum, and to an awesome zoo and outdoor museum called Skansen. I blogged all about my time in Sweden, so check out my May archives if you wanna read all about it. Stockholm is a gorgeous city and I'd love to do again some day to see all of the sights that we didn't have time to see.
Even though I've had lots of difficult times during the last year, days when my depression was really bad or when my fibromyalgia or IBS had flared up and left me in agony, when my anxiety made me physically ill or caused panic attacks, when I experienced personal or family problems, or had just been having a stressful time, there were still lots of little things that made me smile, that made the hard times not as unbearable, things that brightened up my day or week. I treasure all of these little things because they are what remind me when my mental health is bad and the weight of the world feel like it's crushing me, how lovely life can be.
Some of the little things that I enjoyed the most in 2016 were hanging out with my friends, going to the cinema, going on nights out and to flat parties, practicing make-up and feeling great with the way it looked, experimenting with different Halloween make-up looks was really fun too! This year, I saw my first and photographed my first ever Six Spot Burnet Moth and Eurasian Jay *ten points to Ravenclaw*. I was more open about a side of myself that I had never really talked about before, with my friends, with my family and also here on my blog, and that was my preference for BDSM. It made me feel kind of liberated and like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as I was now free to express that part of myself with worrying about what those closest to me would think. Another thing I loved about 2016 was getting to know all of my lovely readers more. I've made so many new friends and you're all amazing!
So, those are my goals to complete by the end of this year. I decided to try and keep the list as short as I could because I feel like I put pressure on myself to do too much in 2016. I also have some other goals to try to complete before October too, 25 Things Before 25. Fingers crossed I can get lots done! I'd love to hear what your goals for 2017 are.
♥ Seeing Busted Live ♥
I've mentioned how me & my best friend became friends a few times on my blog but for my new readers, I'll recap :) We hung around with the same friends at high school, however my best friend is quite shy and back when we were 13, she was even more so which meant that we barely spoke. One day, a mutual friend of ours was absent from school and so it was just the two of us left together at break time. It was really awkward at first, just sitting together in silence haha. After searching my brain for something to start a conversation about, I noticed a Busted keyring on her backpack and chirped up something like 'oh my god, isn't Matt Willis so cute?!' And thus the friendship began, thanks to our shared love of Busted. 2016 marked ten years of us being best friends so when Busted announced their tour, it was almost like fate! Of course we had to get tickets and it felt special, as a way to celebrate our ten year friendaversary (I know, we are so cheesy!).
The gig was AMAZING, really nostalgic and it was awesome to so many people of our age group around us in the Manchester Arena, all embracing their teenage love of Busted. Matt Willis has gotten more gorgeous with age, just saying ;) They ended the concert with my favourite too, which is 'Year 3000' and the atmosphere was epic. Fellow Busted fans, what was yours?
♥ Holidays with my Family ♥
This year I went on two holidays with my family and had such a lovely time on both. It was extra nice because I hadn't been on any with my family for ages. I love travelling, exploring new places and having the opportunity to 'go wild' with my camera. We visited North Wales, which is an absolutely breathtaking place with so much natural beauty. I got to see my first ever waterfall (read about it here) and it was so cool to stand there and get covered in the mist that sprayed as the water crashed against the rocks. We also visited Rhuddlan Castle. I'm a history lover so that was great fun. You also realise just how obsessed with the Song of Ice and Fire novels you are when it's all you can think about as you explore the ruins! I also went on a trip to Southport in September. We stayed at the same resort that we had when I was little and it was awesome to go back there, to see how much it has changed and to revive old memories. The local beach, Ainsdale beach, is wonderful; I love the sand dunes there.
♥ Pokemon Everywhere! ♥
I absolutely adore Pokemon. I have been a fan since I was six years old. It was really exciting when Pokemon Go was released this year and it was awesome to experience the hype that came from it. All of the shops took full advantage of the craze and made so much Pokemon merch! I've been able to get hold of loads of Pokemon things from my local shopping centre and it's kind of surreal. I even spotted Pokemon themed sex toys this year! As I'm writing the notes for this post, I'm sitting on my bed on a Pokemon duvet cover surrounded by Pokemon Build-A-Bear plushies! It makes me super happy. Oh my gosh these plushies though! Who else has got one? (or like me is guilty of buying all thrree that have been released so far?). They are really cute and such good quality. I've named my Eevee plush 'Rainer', my Pikachu is simply 'Pika' and my Charmander's name is 'Flamey'. All the cool kids name their plushies :)
♥ Manchester Pride ♥
I've always wanted to go to a pride event and in 2016, I finally got the chance to with my best friends. Pride events are so beautiful and important and it was amazing to be part of it. It was wonderful to people of all sexualities celebrating in a safe place free from judgemental assholes. There was an atmosphere there like nothing I've experienced before at such a big event, and I can't wait to go again. You can read all about the parade at Manchester Pride here.
♥ Meeting Bowling For Soup ♥
Back in February last year, I went to see Bowling for Soup at Manchester Academy. This was the second BFS gig that I've been to. I thought the first gig was fabulous since it was held at Rock City nightclub in Nottingham City, so it felt like you were so close to the band on stage, vs when you're at a concert in an arena. But the gig in Manchester topped this big time because I actually met the band!! My best friend & I waiting outside at the back of the venue for an hour or so until the band came out to say hi to everyone! It was so epic to meet these guys since I've loved their music since I was fourteen. They were so friendly and really down to earth :)
♥ Manchester MCM Comic Con ♥
Comic Con is always gonna be one of the highlights of my year! How can it not be? A venue filled with stalls to satisy every nerdy need, hundreds of fellow fangirls/boys dressed up as their favourite characters, everyone is happy and lovin' life. Seeing the effort that goes into everyone's cosplay just fills me with so much joy, especially when they are in character, expressing the mannerism/moves of whoever they are dressed as. It's a gathering of quirky people who will never fully grow up, and I feel right at home! What made last year's Comic Con such an awesome experience was that everyone loved my Totoro cosplay; it was so lovely and pretty flattering. Like in 2015, I was nervously asking fellow cosplayers if I could take their photos and then this time, people were asking me! I was so surprised :) They made me proud of my little amateur cosplay. Bring on next time!
♥ All the Musicals ♥
♥ Trip to Stockholm ft. the Eurovision Song Contest ♥
One of my goals for 2016 was to go on holiday with a friend and in May, I ticked this off the list when me & my friend Aaron decided it was about time that we went to watch the Eurovision Song Contest live. We are been big fans of the ESC for years and years now, and we had both always wanted to visit one of the Nordic countries. Mans Zelmerlow won the 2015 ESC for Sweden with his awesome song 'Heroes' so of course the next show would be held over in Sweden. We went to Stockholm for three days, to watch the Eurovision live in the Globen Arena there and also to do some sight-seeing. We expored Stockholm's Old Town, went to the ABBA Museum, and to an awesome zoo and outdoor museum called Skansen. I blogged all about my time in Sweden, so check out my May archives if you wanna read all about it. Stockholm is a gorgeous city and I'd love to do again some day to see all of the sights that we didn't have time to see.
♥ Appreciating the little things ♥
Even though I've had lots of difficult times during the last year, days when my depression was really bad or when my fibromyalgia or IBS had flared up and left me in agony, when my anxiety made me physically ill or caused panic attacks, when I experienced personal or family problems, or had just been having a stressful time, there were still lots of little things that made me smile, that made the hard times not as unbearable, things that brightened up my day or week. I treasure all of these little things because they are what remind me when my mental health is bad and the weight of the world feel like it's crushing me, how lovely life can be.
Some of the little things that I enjoyed the most in 2016 were hanging out with my friends, going to the cinema, going on nights out and to flat parties, practicing make-up and feeling great with the way it looked, experimenting with different Halloween make-up looks was really fun too! This year, I saw my first and photographed my first ever Six Spot Burnet Moth and Eurasian Jay *ten points to Ravenclaw*. I was more open about a side of myself that I had never really talked about before, with my friends, with my family and also here on my blog, and that was my preference for BDSM. It made me feel kind of liberated and like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as I was now free to express that part of myself with worrying about what those closest to me would think. Another thing I loved about 2016 was getting to know all of my lovely readers more. I've made so many new friends and you're all amazing!
♥ My 2017 Goals ♥
1. Visit another country
2. Read more books
3. Actually Dye my hair a bright colour this year!! haha
4. Exercise more
5. Go to more than one Comic Con event
6. Visit a Manor House (Chatsworth House is at the top of my list!)
7. Learn how to apply highlighter & contouring
8. Get my septum pierced
9. Go to the Harry Potter Studios
10. Learn how to make polymer clay charms
11. Work on my anxiety- get some of my independence back!
So, those are my goals to complete by the end of this year. I decided to try and keep the list as short as I could because I feel like I put pressure on myself to do too much in 2016. I also have some other goals to try to complete before October too, 25 Things Before 25. Fingers crossed I can get lots done! I'd love to hear what your goals for 2017 are.
Thankyou for reading!
♥
I wish you all a wonderful, fun-filled 2017 & make lots of lovely memories!
Happy New Year! I Am loving your goals for this year too!
ReplyDeleteThankyou lovely <3 A belated Happy New Year to you too! :)
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