Disclaimer: This was written at the beginning of 2019 when I had near to know knowledge of COVID-19 – and reading this back in lockdown has been a bizarre learning experience.

It’s that time of the year again lads! The 2019 round up…

2019 has been a funny old year for me, firstly it has felt like it’s gone on forever – looking back at things for this post, I couldn’t believe they were in the same year. A lot has changed throughout the year and I feel as if I’ve grown into myself more (although I’m pretty sure I say that every year.) On NYE I vowed that 2019 would be my sexy year and it HAS.

I’ve decided this year to split this post into very loose categories that honestly add no structure but I like them so here goes:

 

Luuuurve and family

• I’ve spent another year laughing and being a weirdo with Scotty Woodcock, my ol’ pal.
• We moved out of our tiny box flat by the sea and into somewhere that we can’t hear every little move that the other person makes. We also have a utility room now how WILD.
• We hosted our first ever full family Cobden road Christmas dinner and it was gawjus.
• My lovely Grandma had an absolute shocker of a year but it led to us becoming even closer and finding out that’s she’s even kinder and sweeter than I could have even imagined. There is no way she will ever read this because she does not know how to internet, but love you Grandma u da best.
• Another beautiful baby boy was born! Monty John Whyman came into our lives and made everything even sunnier.

Work

• I did approximately 14 job interviews throughout the year (and got offered three jobs).
• I left my first proper full-time job, which was particularly weird because it was in the same company that I worked for during Uni – and my office was on the campus I used to study at. SO, it has felt like I’ve graduated after 7 years.
• I also stopped working with three of my favourite people in the world as we left our golden team behind.
• I joined the corporate world for what would turn out to be an incredibly short time – after realising very quickly that corporations and generating sales is not for me (shocking, I know.)
• I got offered a job at the NHS. Something I’m actually *quite* proud of and super excited to start (in 6 days eep.) (Edit: It’s now April, I’ve been in my job for two months and I could not love it more!) (Edit part 2: It’s now August and I still love it, woohoo!

Travel 

• Scotty and I went on our first holiday together to Berlin and it was fantastic.
• I also went to Amsterdam for Nat’s birthday which was a right laugh.
• I know this probably doesn’t count, but I finally visited the north of England (Liverpool) and it’s WELL good. Everyone is really chatty and the pints are cheap. Get up there, it’s great.

Personal non-work but still semi-productive achievements (aka. blog) 

• I’ve posted on this blog 10 times, more than I ever have in a year! (Shocking, I know.)
• My blog passed 10,000 views which was a brilliant personal victory for me!
• Plantbased Petal (my trusty food-based Instagram account) surpassed 1,000 followers which was pretty groovy.
• I also got the opportunity to start working with different vegan brands which was wicked.
• AND created a recipe that is going to be included in a cookbook – which is one of those dreams that I didn’t know I had but thinking about it now, that’s hella cool.

Fun & Games

• I finally got to see The Strokes and The Streets, as well as other fab artists like Kate Nash, The Kooks, The Skints, Blossoms, Bon Iver and Courtney Barnett!
• The Marge celebrated 3 (?) quiz victories. Not the *best* year we’ve had but it’s still been a laugh. We also recruited some new players that are bloody brilliant.
• After realising that getting involved with a pub quiz is my favourite thing to do – I decided to create my own. Thus the Gavin and Stacey pub quiz was born. This quickly became my proudest achievement to date.
• Had the most fun at my joint 25th-birthday-party with my pal Sean!
• I started running for fun this year! A sentence I never thought I’d write. I started Couch to 5k and although it’s taken me about four months to complete the 9 week programme – I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s also made me feel as though I’m mates with Sarah Millican because she’s the celeb I chose to give me supportive messages while I’m running.

On a slightly more embarrassing note, the best category of all, stupid drinking stories – 

• I became a shot girl during Lucy D’s birthday and decided to drink half a litre of sambuca – I’m sure I don’t have to clarify this, but it’s not a good idea.
• Lucy D and I decided it would be a great idea to start singing along to pop punk we were listening to through headphones on a completely packed out train from London to Brighton – literally can’t stress how busy this train was.
• I got too drunk on my anniversary and left a restaurant with paying – and then Scott has to return the next day mortified and pay our bill.

I feel like I’ve missed so much out of this, partly because I’m finally finishing it in April (August) 2020 and 2019 feels like a decade ago. But 2019 was a really brilliant year of growth and fun with my pals.

I have no comment about 2020 or my plans and goals for it – as everything is abnormal right now and I’m just taking things day-by-day!