As we are just days away from entering a brand new year, I look back at the things that made my 2015. I also share some helpful advice and some of my new year's resolutions for 2016.
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New Opportunities
In January, I started my first full time job (apprenticeship if you want to be technical) and it has been incredibly eye-opening. I have learnt so many things, even really simple things like how to change an ink cartridge in a printer which is a skill I never possessed before now - one of those life skills that isn't astounding enough to put on your CV but good enough to know that you have. It also opened my eyes as to how physically and mentally challenging working a 8:30-5 day five days a week can be. Parents, I now know your struggle.
Leading on from this, I have surprised I think just about everyone and got into university to study Music Journalism next September. To say I am excited is a complete understatement. I am excited for every single aspect of university life - the parties, moving away from home, living in a new city, meeting new people, even what I am studying!
I will be 20 years old when I start university. I decided to hold off going to university for 2 years for several reasons. First being simply that I didn't feel ready to go when I finished my A Levels at 18. The thought of going to university when I'm 50/50 on the idea terrified me. I also wanted to gain some life/work experience before I went to university, which I thankfully got the chance to do this year. So if you are reading this, you're 17/18 years old and unsure about going to university, I am here telling you that is absolutely ok to leave it for a year or two for you to really decide whether it is for you. Work or volunteer for a couple of months, travel the world, gain life experience - let that be your decider, not your college or sixth form careers advisor.
Travelling
I entered 2015 in none other than New York City. My 5 day experience of New York was exhausting but one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. My family and I were in full on tourist mode as we soaked up all of the sights, smells and rather large monuments that fill in the vibrant city's landscape. However, due to jetlag, we didn't actually get to see the ball drop in Times Square as we were all fast asleep by 8pm New York time, but we had a great start to 2015 regardless.
Our annual Kalkan holiday this year was by far one of the most bizarre holidays I have ever been on. We went for 2 and a half weeks but it felt like we were there for 3 months - I am not sure whether it is because we were so used to the place or that I spent most of the first week of the holiday not sober. During my time in Kalkan I ate some glorious food, met some lovely people both British and Turkish and drunk way too many Long Island Ice Teas! I also learnt that tequila shooters are not for me, but that is another story for another time.
Concerts
I attended a lot of concerts in 2015. I have also met a lot of amazing people through attending these concerts, who I look forward to spending some of 2016 gigs with. If I had to pick two concerts from this year that stood out for me, it would no doubt be 5 Seconds of Summer (no bias in that at all - they are generally such a good live band) and Catfish and the Bottlemen. After spending months trolling the internet for tickets, I finally found some reasonably priced tickets a week before the show. It was my first ever gig I experienced from the barrier and I was just captivated by the energy and the noise and the buzz that the show bought. I just remember leaving the concert hall completely delirious. It takes some gig to do that to someone, so Catfish and the Bottlemen, fair play to you!
One of my New Year's resolutions for 2016 is to attend at least one concert every month for the entire year and so far, I have a gig every month till May. So far, so good!
So what are my New Year's resolutions for 2016?
1. As I have said previously, one of my New Year's resolutions to attend at least one concert every month for the entire year. I feel that unlike going to the gym and cutting out crappy foods, this will be a goal I can easily achieve.
2. Interview/meet Van McCann - I don't know why Van McCann (lead singer of Catfish and the Bottlemen for those of you who are unaware of him) is the person I want to interview the most out of all of the wonderful music artists in the world but I just find him incredibly fascinating. The way he talks about his music and how he is generally excited about what he does is incredibly inspiring and meeting him, to me, would be amazing. I feel like as I am studying Music Journalism at university, this may just happen. It might not be in 2016 but if I play my cards right, who knows?
3. Do well at university - a pretty obvious goal really
4. Do things that scare me and jump out of my comfort zone a little more
5. Be spontaneous
I would also like to take this blog post as an opportunity to say thank you to every single person who has read this blog this year and I hope that you have enjoyed my (infrequent) content. Knowing that several thousand people have read a blog that I created two years ago to give me somewhere to post things is amazing. I am not a huge blogger, nor do I really aim to be as big as Zoella and whoever - just the thought that people read what I spend hours writing is enough for me.
So to everyone reading this, I hope that your 2015 has been awesome and may 2016 bring you a whole host of opportunities, prosperity and long lasting memories.
Stay jazzy folks,
Hayley
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