Normally I use the last day of the year as a time for reflection. For introspection as well.  I like to take a walk in the woods or a park to look back at what the year has brought me. For several reasons I couldn’t go for a walk this time and in between work and taking care of my friend visiting from the Netherlands, who had fallen ill all of a sudden, I just didn’t have the time or peace of mind to sit down and reflect. Only now do I have a moment to myself to reflect on last year, so that’s what I’m going to do.

What happened this year? What did I do well? What could I do better? What am I grateful for? Which were the best moments and which the worst? What did I want to do that I did not do? And the other way around as well: what did I not want to do that I did anyway? Do I like the way I’ve lived my life this year and do I want to continue like this or should I make some changes?

Overall 2007 was a good year for me:

  • Getting together with my boyfriend and after a fairly short time we moved in together. After a rough patch we found a great apartment in a lovely part of the city and made ourselves a real home. And getting our very first Christmas tree together!
  • Getting a new job, one that I really like, instead of staying stuck in a job that I hated within a company that I felt didn’t treat its employees right.
  • After seeing the ad for a writing contest, I stepped over my fears, entered my story and got published in a national paper.
  • Passing the first part of the marketing exam of the BA program I’m doing
  • (re)Discovering my creativity: starting a blog, photography, my first steps on the path of guerilla art, knitting, etc.
  • Finding pleasure again in cooking
  • Having my mom and 5 of my aunts coming over for my birthday
  • Visiting my sister in Aberdeen
  • Taking roadtrips to the Wicklow Mountains and Connemara
  • Getting our first cat, Lakhi. Unfortunately her stay with us was only short when we couldn’t find an apartment that allowed pets.

Now that I’ve properly looked back at 2007, I’m ready for 2008. This weekend I’m gonna take the time to envision my goals for this year.