Dear 2023...

Dear 2023...

Going into 2023 I felt a little lost, I knew my internship was coming to an end soon and I would have this big gap in my year where I wouldn't be achieving much. I was afraid that this year wouldn't challenge me in the way that I needed. You absolutely proved me wrong. This year has taught me so much about myself, my passions and what I am capable of.

It taught me to not be afraid to do things alone. That waiting for others to experience things with you is an opportunity sorely missed. During my 7 weeks in Korea, I fell in love with living life through my own eyes, not the eyes or dreams of others. It taught me that it is ok to be afraid sometimes. I once had a teacher tell me "feel the fear and do it anyway" and that is how I'd define my experience this year. Many times I was afraid, doubted my ability to do things but I did them anyway as I knew the regret would hurt more in the long term than the fear of just throwing myself into it.

It taught me to cherish and be grateful for things others take for granted. Strangely enough, I can't put into words how much I miss working my 9-5:30 that I did during my internship! University is quite an inconsistent experience, its difficult to get into a routine so feeling grateful for my little moments of consistency and the discipline of it I've been able to develop allows me to find order in the chaos.

Highlights for this year didn't start in Korea! First, seeing labours of love that I worked on during my internship launch and seeing people love them as much as I do has been a real highlight. I became so passionate about working in the products industry, seeing the consumers enjoy what I've been involved in and talking about it has been so rewarding!

I can't talk about highlights without mentioning my 7 weeks in Seoul. From climbing the 5th tallest building in the world to kayaking on the Han river, I know that my first solo travel was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I won't go into too much detail, (I'll save that for other posts!) but it made my year taking myself out of my comfort zone and creating unforgettable memories.

Another highlight for me has been my change in perspective over the past year. From being in industry to my solo travels, the way in which I see experiences and moments of anxiety have shifted. University used to be quite an anxious time for me but I have found that my approach this year has been different quite naturally. I'm looking at the long-term rather than focussing on the uncontrollable factors of the now and I'm considering the bigger picture; how impactful is this moment? I have a very positive outlook and this has made the transfer back to university significantly easier.

So... Dear 2024...

You have quite big shoes to fill! But here are my promises for the next year:

• I promise to continue to push myself - it was these times of pushing myself that the most incredible memories were made.

• I promise to connect more with those around me - 2023 allowed me to reconnect with people I hadn't spoken to in a long time and these moments have been precious to me, I hope to continue that.

• I promise to broaden my view - the perspectives I have gained from this year have impacted me positively, I want to continue this in 2024.

• I promise to keep finding any excuse to make memories! - recently, I have wanted each day to bring a new memory, it keeps me from plateauing. Here's to more memories!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 2023 and here's to 2024!

If you would like to see my 2023 in a 45 seconds, my recent Instagram post highlights just a few of my favourite moments from last year!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1iByhvownL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==