2011: The start of a new beginning

These end of year recap posts seem to be becoming a little tradition on this little blog of mine as I have, it appears, recapped both 2010 and 2009 previously... awesome. Who knows how long I can keep it up for =)

It is now the 31st of December, the last day of 2011, and as seems to be the case in each of these yearly recaps I realize how drastically life has changed since the one before. The jump from 2009 to 2010 was enormous (2009 was a very challenging year), and while I may not have done anywhere near the amount of activities and adventures this year than I did the last, I can say that this year I have had the biggest personal growth and transformations of all, something I am very proud of.

This year was all about finding myself, finding some direction in life, to begin shaping my life how I want it to be shaped. It was the first time in my life where I wasn't constrained with full-time study having graduated from University in April... which meant that for the first time I was free to choose what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it, something that took a little getting used to.

After some careful deliberation I settled to spend my year with full-time work simply to save money. I also moved into what has been the best share house I have ever lived in since moving out of my parents house with the awesome housemates (Massi and Jason) and the unforgettable times we had.

My enjoyment of blogging flourished further and I discovered quite a few new blogs to follow and in turn my little slice of the blogosphere increased also. I even proclaimed my love for you follow bloggers (albeit while drunk, ha!). I got more involved in the blogging community and participated in the 20-Something-Bloggers Blog Swap, received an award and then awarded it to others in turn, and have connected well with a few of my favourite bloggers which is nice (with a few cool projects currently underway).

And the biggest of all for 2011? This was the year I embarked on what is to my grandest adventure yet, a trip to New York City!

Two years ago in 2009 I announced vaguely that I think I would like to live in a city some day, in particular New York City. After hours upon hours of daydreaming about what living there would be like it suddenly dawned on me 'why shouldn't I move there, seriously?'. After failing to come upon an answer of why I shouldn't, plans were put forward and in March I officially announced that I am moving to New York City. This took up a vast amount of my free time during the year and really became a focal point for everything I did. I created the 'New York City Trip' page on my blog to gather all my researched information, I made my first steps and transferred some Australian dollars over to US dollars, and I finally applied for my visa, all with the date of March 2012 in mind for my departure date.

It is also the year I made quite a few new friends whom have all surprisingly (and seemingly out of nowhere) become quite a staple in my life; Rob, Isaac, Jim, Brendan, Polly, Carolyn, Massi (names have been changed)... that's 7 new people who I very much enjoy their company that I didn't have with me only one year before. How life could of been if I had only met them sooner. A new life has been formed that I am only recently realizing how much I will miss when I leave.

And last but definitely not least, there was the absolutely amazing, wonderful, ridiculously adventure filled holiday to China! An experience that pushed my strength and imagination to the limit, one I am truly glad I did, will never ever forget, and am a better person because of.

There was so much stuff I didn't blog about, the awesome night out with my two best mates Jason and Karl that just blew away all our expectations on what the night would hold, the reconnecting with some of my old best mates again, my new exercise regime that I have stuck with all year that has really paid off, the new sense of peace and well being that I now feel.

2011 has ended up being one of the best years I have had in a very long time and really feels to me like a 'launch pad' of sorts, where after a year of preparing myself by making future plans, saving money and keeping healthy, I'm now ready to be launched into a new beginning and adventure. And to cap off 2011 I am spending New Years Eve at a BBQ with my absolute best mates in the world... I really couldn't ask for anything more than that.

My hope and expectations for 2012? Every year I try and predict how the following one may turn out, and each time I am wrong, so this time I am just going to let 2012 be whatever it wants to be and it can throw at me whatever it wants to also.

I am moving to NYC so what is going to happen really is anyone's guess! =D