2017 Reflection

I was looking through my old blog posts to see if I did do an end of year reflection, and turns out I did do one for 2016, and a dodgy one in 2015, and 2014 didn't exist cause I wasn't in Aus. Didn't check past that.

I love planning and routine, so I knew straight off 2017 would be completely different. Somehow even with a relatively emptier timetable, my time was filled up. Flicking through my diary, after the first few weeks of being a couch potato end of 2016 to early 2017, I actually was quite busy.

Funny how 2017 is sort of the opposite to 2016 which went from good to bad, and this year went from bad to good. It did start off pretty bad, hence booking a spontaneous trip to Europe to 'cure my heart' at the beginning of the year, and managed booking 3 weeks worth of holidays in countries I've never visited in around 2 weeks before departing, whilst still making it a 'budget trip.' Thank goodness for some friends who are well travelled and been on exchange to give me recommendations in my limited researching time and the limited time I was there.

Highlights this year:
- Meeting my s/o
- Countries and places visited:
England, Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, France
Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Tasmania (Hobart/Launceston and in between), Melbourne, Brisbane
- So many food places

I don't know how you count plane trips, does getting off the plane then back on the same plane whilst it's in transit/refuelling count as one or 2 plane trips? Hmm...might count that as 1...Or what if you're in transit and you switch to a different plane? I'll count that as 2 since changing plane companies...

If I counted correctly, 15 different plane trips, and new pb. Hope to have even more next year (goodbye money), but so many good memories so worth.

With the extra time, definitely went to a lot more food places than in previous years (around 40 ice creams I had outside of home). Still behind on blog posts for food, but that'll continue on next year. I know I won't have the time to go out to eat as often during 5th yr.

Apart from the whole feeling of people judging you but not saying it in your face directly, which I still sort of try to avoid conversations with people (apart from optoms, they understand all the struggles of studying)...this year has been a learning curve.

- I definitely learnt how to try and not be stressed. I still stress, just nowhere near as much as I used to. Learning on how to chill
- 'Fear of failure' was always (maybe is still) my biggest fear, and I wouldn't say I have 100% overcome that fear, but I know the world won't end if I do fail again, which is still possible in 5th yr.  - Life does go on, and indeed, there is more to life than just studying. Even though people told me this before, you actually don't really understand the whole process and feels until you experience it yourself.
- Actually more to life than just uni
- Worked more than I wanted to this year without really asking for extra shifts (although I did find another temporary job this year for extra money which I ended up spending anyway in my mid year trip), but also learnt more on how to say no to work
- Keeping yourself preoccupied/busy does help to take away some of the sulkiness (which is also the year I got eye bags from just sulking/crying way too much initially from all the injustice, and that is something which is irreversible...)
- Learning what a research project entails, and probs not gonna do research anytime soon. In hindsight, it was defs a good experience
- Time management and priorities. Learning how to prioritise uni work, meet ups, exercising, work etc
- Never, ever thought I would be the type of person to join a gym. It was a fun learning experience doing some of the classes. I think once uni starts next year, probs not gonna have time to go, since for me, going there is around a 15-20min drive, and it's an 'outing' in itself, time which I won't have if I have 9-6 days, then get back home at 8pm, it's too late to go...the tiny, tiny bit of muscle which I have hoped I gained (so I can carry my luggage around easily for hopefully a grad trip) would probs all be gone by then...
- Learning that time with relatives is precious, especially as they are all getting older
- Learning to be even more thoughtful
- Really learning to trust in God more, as hard as it is to believe part of His plan for me was to not pass last year. I guess part of the reason why I think why that was His plan is included throughout this post

Things on my 'list to do' when I thought I had all the free time in the world, but really ended up preoccupying myself with other stuff to do:
- Learn how to cook, or bake more
- Go hiking in Sydney + Blue Mountains
- Go running (if my cardio ever improves, which hasn't after a year)
- Swim more or get back into dancing
- Piano still remains untouched for another year
- Volunteer for more stuff
- Read more (who had time to read fiction, when you have readings to find and read for research)
- Clean, should start chucking out non sentimental stuff, but haven't had the time to touch my cupboards yet

I am hopeful for an even better 2018, although I know I'll still face another set of challenges. Mainly somehow brushing up on skills which I haven't used in over a year, and restudying everything from previous years, and trying not to worry too much about future plans.

Although I don't really know who reads my blog apart from those people who have mentioned it to me/know of it's existence, happy new year to all my readers!