My 2010

A year coming to an end always makes me slightly nostalgic and reflective. I like to look back at my year and summarised the main events of each month and what they've meant to me. So, this is my 2010.


JANUARY
Saw in the New Year at a pretty good house party/fire/BBQ in Dundee.
John took me to Egypt for my Christmas present, it was amazing.
Started the home run towards my final degree project.

FEBRUARY

Lots of nights out!

Was hating my degree project

Spent a lot of time discussing my life with the cat

John spoiled me rotten on Valentines Day

MARCH

Tache Bash, the fundraising event for our degree show

Changed my project idea 6 weeks before the end of the year - BEST THING I EVER DID.

Pretty much just slaved away for all of March doing project work.

APRIL

Didn't eat or sleep for weeks as I frantically worked on my project

Pillow Talk went viral

Got featured on Gizmodo which, it's safe to say, has changed my life

Apparently didn't take many photos as I was so busy

My horse kept me sane

MAY

Where do I start? Gave my final ever presentation at uni.

Was awarded a First Class Honours degree.

Degree Show opened.

Saw the true colours of some of my "friends".

Was interviewed on BBC Radio and made the front cover of a National newspaper

Photographed my first wedding

JUNE

Graduated from uni!

Went to grad ball

Drank my own bodyweight in champagne

Did a lot of Freelance work.

Spent a lovely weekend in Loch Lomond with John and his family

Was offered a PhD place at Newcastle uni.

(These are my two best friends in the whole world)

JULY

Went to T in the Park

Chilled the hell out since uni was finished.

Grew a giant courgette.

Drove a lot.

Celebrated one year with John. Well, I did, he was at sea!

AUGUST

Pretty much just went on holiday a lot.

Went to Greece with John.

Went to France with John to visit my folks at their house there.

Had my PhD offer pulled out from under my feet and was suddenly left questioning what to do with the rest of my life again

SEPTEMBER

Moved to Newcastle

Started my own company

Started a Masters of Research at Newcastle University

Did a LOT of paperwork in my newfound Director role

OCTOBER

Turned 23! Worst birthday ever, alone in Newcastle hardly knowing anyone. Spent it at the aquarium with my 3yr old pseudo-nephew, who also shares my birthday. 

Won £25,000 the week after which kind of made up for it.

Went to London.

Presented Pillow Talk at the Innovate 10 Conference

Met some old friends :)

NOVEMBER

November was bad for a variety of reasons.

But it still had its good parts... like going to Spain

DECEMBER

Finally started to feel settled in Newcastle

Drank more jagerbombs in one night than I will ever again, across the rest of my life!

Home to Scotland for Christmas.

All in all, it's been a funny year. It saw my last year of university, the last time I would enjoy the company of all the people I spent the best four years of my life with. It saw the end of four years of studying, of blood sweat and tears, becoming one single certificate which will define my career prospects for decades to come. Two thousand and ten was a year which, for me, held a huge life transition. 

And let's not forget the people. I found out in 2010 that a lot of people weren't who I really thought they were (or perhaps I wasn't who they thought I was?) But either way, as the year draws to a close, I call far less people my friends. This doesn't bother me - those I have lost were not worth my time, and those who remain will stay with me forever. Jen will forever be my best friend, and I'll never forget the loyalty of Keiran and - until nearer the end - Neil. I suppose, in a way, 2010 has shown me what I expect from people and who I can expect it from. It has also carried through some old friendships which, through thick and thin, only become stronger for each New Year they see (Ross, I'm looking at you).

Two thousand and ten started okay, slid into a Springtime Slump and then gave me everything I could have asked for in the summer. Autumn was hard, harder still, but I'm approaching 2011 with a strange sense of optimism. I hope you all have a good one too.