Reflections On 2015

‘Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.’ – Peter Drucker.

One of the best years of my life!

At the end of each year, I like to spend a bit of time reflecting on the year that has passed and focusing on some of the things I’d like to achieve in the year that is coming. In this post, I’ll look back on 2015, a year that has been, without a doubt, one of the best years of my life so far.

That’s a big, bold statement to kick off a blog post with, but it’s true. I am leaving 2015 behind feeling like it is going to be a big year to beat and 2016 has got a lot to live up to! If 2014 was all about major life decisions and big changes, 2015 has definitely been all about having fun and enjoying this new chapter in the life I’ve decided to lead.

With that introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and let you know exactly why 2015 has been such an amazing year for me. Here goes!

I found a new (old) hobby that I love.

My love of photography had been growing slowly for some time, but in 2015 it developed into a big passion. I can’t go anywhere nowadays without scouting the location out for photographic opportunities. I love checking out the light, looking for great colours or shapes, finding good viewpoints for landscapes and storing away great photo ideas in my head for future reference.

Since I invested in my first DSLR back in August, I am getting more confident in my photographic abilities. I am increasingly shooting in manual mode. My camera is a beginner DSLR and I am shooting with the kit lens that it came with.

I can feel my photography improving on a daily basis as I begin to understand the mechanics of taking better photographs. I can now appreciate the elements that turn a good photo into a really excellent photo. Interesting light, good composition and trusting your instincts when it comes to getting the perfect shot.

A better camera isn’t the be all and end all.

I know that having a better camera doesn’t automatically make me a better photographer. No matter what kit I use, photographs can and do still turn out shit. For example, I took over a thousand images in the Philippines and will share maybe 50-100 of them on social media and via this blog. I need to continue honing my skills and carry on striving to advance my photography. Further down the line, I’d like to invest in more kit, starting with another lens and a tripod. Maybe I’ll take a course.

Without a doubt, 2015 has definitely been the year when I realised just how much I love getting creative with my camera. From now on, with perseverance and ongoing passion, my photography will only get better. Keep your eyes peeled for more photos upcoming from the Philippines and Wales on this blog and Instagram page. Photography is officially my new (old) favourite hobby!

Writing has come fully back into my life again – long may it last!

I have been a writer since I can remember, but after I finished university, writing took a back seat and I didn’t do very much for a few years. Before I started travelling, this blog meant very little to me. It was something I’d created one rainy Sunday afternoon and then rarely thought about afterwards.

That all changed when I went to New Zealand and finally had something I wanted to write about again. Now, I write about my love of travel, my love of New Zealand and the new life I was making for myself.

Suddenly, this blog became a huge priority in my life. Around the same time as my blog started playing a bigger role in my life, I started to read other people’s blogs too. I gathered writing inspiration from my favourite bloggers (such as This Battered Suitcase and Alex In Wanderland) and I began to aspire to what some of these writers have achieved – potentially earning money through their blogs and building up a portfolio of work that has led to them writing books and getting published, which is a dream of mine!

What will I write next?

I find myself considering this question more and more. I spent time contemplating my next blog post – what I will write about, how I will present the post to my readers, the things I want people to know about. Suddenly, writing is right back in the forefront of my mind and I am really enjoying it.

Posting about my travels makes me happy and I love getting people’s feedback on my writing. It fills me with delight whenever someone compliments my blog because it really does mean that much to me. I want people to enjoy reading my posts just as much as I enjoy writing them, editing them and putting them all together. I’m so glad that 2015 has been the year for me when writing really came back into my life.

I’ve got some amazing friends, both old and new.

2015 has shown me the real value of friendship. I have had the opportunity to make fantastic new friends and the opportunity to retain my amazing old friends.

I am grateful to have met some truly wonderful people in 2015. Some of them will end up being only passing acquaintances. However, I also know that I have new friendships that will last a lifetime. I now have several people with whom I’ve become extremely close. People who have come to matter to me a great deal and whom I will miss when we spend less time together.  

I admit that before I went away, I did wonder occasionally if I would drift apart from some of my old friends. I feared that things would be different between us when I returned. However, it has become clear to me whilst I have been back in the UK that the friends who truly matter to me, those that I really want and need around me in my life, are still here for me. My relationships with these people are just as wonderful as they were before I went away, if not better. Distance is no match for strong friendships built on solid foundations. I am lucky to have so many friendships exactly like that right here in good old Blighty.

I have taken the opportunity to try new things and have grown in self-confidence as a result.

Taking as on new opportunities has helped me to realise that I can do anything I set my mind to. As a result, my self-confidence has grown in 2015. I am beginning to realise that the limits of my inner strength are far higher than I thought they were.

I’ve tried many new things this year. Sky diving, flying a plane over Wanaka and learning to snorkel in the Philippines. I am probably never going to be completely fearless. This doesn’t mean I can’t continue to push the limits of my comfort zone. I want to live freely from my anxieties and not just when jumping out of a plane or snorkelling. I want to live like this in all walks of my life.

Doing things that scare me has helped me to become more determined to succeed in everything that I do. But that’s for another blog post.