At the start of this year I set myself five goals.

1. Finish my degree and graduate with a first. 2. See more of the world. 3. Give vegetarianism a go. 4. Get a job as a journalist. 5. Enjoy life more.

Winter

I started the year off by climbing a mountain with my hungover best friend. For Emma, this expedition may have foreshadowed the rest of her year, as she climbed plenty more in the months that followed.  For me, it set me up to carry on achieving throughout 2017. I’d like to make sure I start every new year with a mountain – but more on that later.

Winter to Spring

January to May brought some of the most memorable times of my life. I learned to play poker, spent Galentine’s Day with my friend Soph, did lots and lots of uni work, cooked for/looked after/lived with my best friends in the world, and, of course, got drunk and did fun stuff with Emma.

At some point in April, in the midst of drowning in final year uni work, I took the plunge and called an editor I had done some work for the previous year as he had a job advertised. He offered me the role there and then.

I celebrated my 21st birthday on May 3 (for which Nas got on a plane to Cardiff), and on May 14, I packed my stuff, said some emotional goodbyes and moved from London back to Wales – a bit of a shock to the system. On May 15, I started my first job as a reporter for a lovely, feisty regional publication in west Wales. I commuted there every day (over an hour’s drive) and loved the responsibility of running a paper in such a small team. I have learned so much working on that paper and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

Summer

I explored some more of Wales in June, and celebrated my grandparents’ 65th wedding anniversary, before having the pleasure of being a bridesmaid at Tyler and Alex Saunders’ wedding. I reunited with my beautiful college friends, and became a great-cousin (is that a thing?) to my cousin Amy’s incredibly cute daughter Eleni.

In July and August, I finally finished my degree, my Mum nailed recovering from a huge operation, I enjoyed the intermittent sunshine, went to Henley Regatta (after googling what a regatta was) and went back and forth to London to see everyone.

Autumn

Emma did some work experience with me in September. I don’t think she was expecting so much dancing. In the same month, my super glamorous aunty Tracey turned 60. We, along with the ladies in my family, celebrated in style with a trip to Milan.

A week after returning from Milan, I spent a few weeks travelling around northern Europe with an interail pass and a backpack. I was lucky enough to spend time in Amsterdam, meet up for schnitzel with a very old friend in Berlin, go to a festival in Hamburg and explore Copenhagen, before heading to Gothenburg and Stockholm and flying home via Dublin. These were all places and countries I had never visited before and I enjoyed every minute of it. Seeing more of the world is definitely a goal I want to carry forward to 2018.

The rest of autumn was spent working and embarking on more London adventures with Emma. I also witnessed strength in the truest sense of the word in my beautiful best friend Bethan. She was given the most devastating news imaginable this year but still managed to make me cry laughing on a daily basis with her wonderful wit, brutal honesty, growing intelligence and inner chav. Bethan embodies everything I aspire to be. She is my hero.

Winter

My lovely Dad started building a new house, as well as working his ass off running his business and generally nailing everything he does. In December, I graduated with a first class degree in Journalism. My parents, Nan and Bampi and friends came to the ceremony. It was a day I’ll never forget. I spent a swift weekend exploring Geneva in the snow. Finally, I received a very exciting call from a lady at the Daily Express, offering me a job on the online desk of the paper in their London office.

I spent Christmas with my great aunt and uncle in their beautiful cottage near Milton Keynes and I am travelling to London to spend New Year with some wonderful people.

That brings us to today, and to my start-of-2018 mountain. I have just worked the last day of my notice period in west Wales, I am getting ready to see the new year in with friends, and I am packing all my stuff up again to move back to the big smoke and start my new job.

I’ll be climbing a metaphorical mountain to start this year, but it’s a mountain none the less.

Out of my five goals for 2017, I think I gave all of them a bloody good go. Even trying out vegetarianism. It lasted two months. It wasn’t for me. We’ll leave it there.

Happy New Year everyone!