Here we are, once again, on the brink of a new year and wishing a
fond farewell to the year that’s passed. 2017 has been a challenging year for
the world generally with worrying political situations, the loss of some well
loved figures, and more terrorist attacks than I care to count. I hope for a
more peaceful and kinder 2018.
Personally 2017 was quite an eventful year with its ups and downs. I
want to take this time to reflect on the good times, the positive changes, the
places that took my breath away, and the books that captured my imagination. If
I were to sum up what I’ve learnt this year in a sentence it would be to take
care of yourself and find time for the things (and people) you love. I’ve done
this professionally this year, switching my focus from the daily grind to
explore ways to find a more fulfilling life. That’s not to say I’m not working
hard, in many ways I’d say I’m working even harder, but if you find the right
focus for that work it can make you so much happier. Another thing that has
become so important to me is yoga. I’d never done it before this year but now
have a daily practice, mostly under the guidance of Adriene Mishler through
Yoga with Adriene. Honestly, this has been one of my best discoveries of the
year. If you want to strengthen your body whilst also tending to your mental
health I can’t recommend her Yoga Camp series highly enough.
Other big news – I finally put pen to paper and got some words down
for my first novel. I signed up for NaNoWriMo to give me a push in the right
direction, and it definitely worked. I may not have officially ‘won’ NaNo but I
have words on a page that weren’t there before and a much better writing
routine. As far as I’m concerned that is a win. I also engaged with the group
of writers around the world taking the time to create. This was a wonderful
encouragement and source of advice as well as giving me a genuine feeling of
joy thinking about the mass creative output happening throughout the month.
Travel has been a highlight of the year. Within the UK I had
opportunity to spend more time in beautiful Cornwall as well as the chance to
visit Haworth once more, a place that feels something like my spiritual/inspirational home. I was also lucky enough to go to France once more
and enjoy the natural beauty of the Alps in autumn (whilst eating copious
amounts of cheese). The big trip, however, was Australia. I was fortunate to
travel around the east of the country and experience some breathtakingly
beautiful places, including snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. More on all of this
if I ever find the time to write up more detailed posts from my travels.
Reading-wise I continued with my tradition of reading books written
or set in the countries I visit, which this year also included taking the
plunge with books in French, which I'm still working my way through. Bill Bryson’s Down
Under entertained me, but may have convinced me that I would likely die
while out there (I returned mostly unscathed I’m happy to report). I also
caught a glimpse of the desert through Robyn Davidson’s Tracks and Picnic at Hanging
Rock by Joan Lyndsay provided some atmospheric mystery to spark my
imagination. Overall, there haven’t been any great stand-out books for me this
year. Good books certainly, but none that I remember completely absorbing me
(excluding the re-read of Wuthering
Heights of course). There are more books in my to-read pile than I would
have time for this year so it could go any way, but I definitely intend to read
my first George Eliot soon.
It was a strong year for exhibitions – when in Melbourne I thoroughly
enjoyed the Aardman exhibition at the ACMI. It was fun and playful and
showcased some incredible talent. Closer to home, the Opera exhibition at the V&A and the Harry Potter exhibition at the British Library were definitely
highlights. See my full posts for why. Both still open, so it’s not too late to
enjoy them. A smaller offering from the National Portrait Gallery, The Encounter: Drawings from Leonardo to
Rembrandt left a big impression. It was wonderful to see sketches done by
such masters, and honestly the experience improved my own work. As for what I’ll
be visiting this year – Winnie the Pooh at the V&A promises to be
delightful, and Tate Britain’s Impressionists in London looks promising.
As always, let me know what you’re reading, what you’re visiting, or
where you’re travelling. All that’s left to do now is wish you all a very happy
and healthy 2018. See you on the other side.