This week, I’ve been taking some time to reflect, looking back at 2018. Here it is my year in review:
Travel
We started the year celebrating the start of 2018 in Sweden with some friends! Eating at Mårten Trotzig and watching the fireworks.
A week after returning to Scotland, I was off with a Polish friend to Wrocław in Poland, which is where she went to university. It was a fun girl’s weekend full of brunches and walks.
In April, the Brit and I were off to Canada for a short stint before vacationing in Cuba with my parents. I was back in Canada in May to attend my dear uncle’s funeral.
In August, we went off to Germany to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday. It was such a wonderful trip.
I travelled to Iceland for work in both August and October, visiting the Golden Circle and Reykjavík.
Finally, in November, I popped over to Estonia for a wee girls’ weekend away. It was cold but fun and delicious.
Reading in 2018
If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ll see that I wasn’t able to reach my reading goal for the year, but still happy with my 40 books! Maybe aiming for one a week was a bit much ha!
Here were my favourite reads of the year:
- Shrill by Lindy West
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
- Running like a Girl by Alexandra Hemingsley
- Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.
Work
I started the year in a stable position working in the web team at the bank. It was good to me while it lasted. It was actually a bit of a surprise when I was offered a job at my current company. I had applied for a different job out of the blue just to see, and here I am.
Working as a writer focused on travel, it feels like I’ve finally reached a moment of my career where I’m happy and fulfilled. It does mean I can’t do it as much in my spare time (another reason I stopped working on my guidebooks) but I get my fair share at work nowadays.
PhDing
I finally applied for a few PhD programmes here in Scotland. Got into four of them but decided to postpone in the end due to funding, as I found out I’d be eligible for home fees next year. Now with a job I love more than anything I’m also keeping an eye out for the possibility of going back to university part time in a year or two.
Fitness
This year has been a huge year in terms of fitness for me. Because I’m approaching 30, I decided it was time to tackle a few of my 30 before 30 goals, two of which being a triathlon and hiking a munro.
I trained for two months over the summer for my first novice triathlon. In the midst of it, I hiked my first munro. I ran my first 5k with obstacles for charity. And participated in my first aquathlon. I’ve pushed myself so much and I’m so proud of my accomplishments.
Blogging in 2018
I didn’t blog as much this year, having only written 50 blog posts. But I’ve become at peace with it, not feeling guilty anymore if I don’t write a blog posts one week. As I wrote earlier about my job, I blog and write a lot which has been keeping me satisfied on that front.
My most popular posts of 2018 were:
- Body Shop Advent Calendar Review (surprising!)
- A day trip to Falkirk
- 10 things to do in Wrocław
- Money diary: On saving money as an immigrant
- Our engagement photoshoot
Favourite moments of 2018
Looking back at 2018, I’ve lived so many wonderful moments. Through the big moments, I’ve started truly appreciating the small moments of happiness, being at peace, at home, with friends, enjoying good food.
- Travelling to Cuba with my family and the Brit, swimming in the sea and walking the streets of Havana
- Doing our engagement photoshoot on the Inchmahome island on Lake of Menteith
- Celebrating and swimming in a canal in Germany
- Seeing the northern lights in Iceland
- The feeling of accomplishment of crossing the finish line at my first triathlon
Happy New Year! What was your favourite memory from 2018?xx
