I’ve heard lots of people tell me how fast this year has gone; how it’s just flown by and now the new year is only a few hours away. But for me it’s been quite the contrary. Despite how much change there has been this year (see previous post), the amount of places visited and things done, the year has unravelled at a pace I’ll liken to a power-walking group of oldies taking a stroll around the park – just the right pace to be able to stop and smell the roses without losing momentum and direction to where you want to get to.

There were bits in there which did make things feel like they were moving too quickly (see previous post) but I was quick enough to change that. As lame as it sounds, the year was mostly filled with a good amount of moments where I was in the moment. Nineties-tunes-fuelled roadtrips, a whirlwind New Yawk experience and wacky dress-up parties were enjoyed equally as much as lazy afternoons spent watching random documentaries about Thai lady boys, learning how bloody hard yet freakin’ fun graphic design is (see previous post) and cooking up my very first homemade chicken pie. There was of course, a generous serving of challenges that gave me a firm slap in the face every now and then but they’ve only made me a little wiser (if only a little). Without a healthy dose of arguments with your loved ones or shit-hit-the-fan moments at work, life would just be too straight-forward. The messier the ride the sweeter the reward right?! (Except the unusually high number of times my washing got wet in the rain this year. That was no life lesson, just plain annoying).

There were always constants in my life that kept me (and my sanity) in check. People who were always there cheering me on; reassuring me; laughing with me; crying with me; lending their ears to my endless rants about work, family, love and everything in between. They were power-walking alongside me the whole time, regularly reminding me that everything was going to be ok in the end, “AL, slow down you old hag. Let’s stop and feed the ducks first.”

Without them it’s safe to say I would’ve lost my marbles and my year wouldn’t have been as crazy and as wonderful as it has been – enjoyed at a reasonable grandma pace, of course.

x Grandma AL