The craziest year of my life

Rosie’s take on… 2016: A Review 
Boy. What a year. 

Gotta say, 2016 didn’t go at all like it was supposed to. Literally, this year could not have ended up further from what I had expected. I know there are still 18 days left in the year, so there’s plenty of time for 2016 to pull out some tricks it’s potentially been keeping up its sleeve, but I’ve decided to reflect on my year so far. 

I’ll just start off by saying that some of my absolute highest moments have happened this year. From getting together with my amazing boyfriend, to living in New York City for two and a half months, to holidaying in said city with said boyfriend, to enjoying having finally completed my studies. I have been my absolute happiest this year. 

But 2016 has also included my absolute lowest points, the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through, and so much heartache I could have never, ever anticipated or prepared for. 

So here we go, 2016: A breakdown 

January: Yay summer, the weather is perf. My younger sisters and parents are living in Queensland and my older sisters are in Canada, and that sucks. But I fly over to Brisbane to surprise my sister for her 16th birthday, which is awesome. I am so happily single I can’t imagine anyone ever being good enough for me to get in a relationship. I get accepted into the Intern New York program, and wonder how I will ever survive waiting 6 months before I go. 

February: Yessss, graduation. I get to wear the cool hat and robe and finally have something to show for all my hard work over the previous 3 years. My Mum comes over from Brisbane to see me graduate. 

March: F*** yeah, 21! For the first time in my life I have to work on my birthday, but it’s okay because my family are all still away and my housemate is at work, too. I get no less than 3 deliveries of birthday flowers while I’m working, and get spoilt by my work team. Later in the month is Easter, and I cannot even fathom how many Hot Cross Buns I bake and pack at work. I start seeing my boyfriend, unofficially. I think how ironic it is that I meet a guy just as I’m planning my trip away with no return date. 

April: Yay, birthday trip to Brisbane to see my family for belated birthday celebrations. They announce they’re moving back to Perth. Jayden asks me to be his girlfriend. I say yes, despite knowing I am going away soon (how is it coming up so soon!?). I am delighted to find that being with the right person is even better than being single. 

May: Not long now until New York. My visa still hasn’t been approved. My sister Sarah returns from Canada after 8 months away. I call in sick to work on a day when I get given news that shatters the family life as we know it. I lose my faith in marriage and my hero in a single day. I fear for my (still new) relationship as I try to deal with my own personal drama, burdening him with my problems. But Jayden is a lifesaver and knows exactly what to say and do, and I am blown away again by how much happiness he brings me. I lose the support of someone I never thought I would, in my greatest moment of need. The rest of the month is a blur of emotions. I consider cancelling my New York adventure. 

June: Yay, my sister Melanie returns from Canada after 9 months away. Still no visa. Still no flights booked. Excitement is mounting, but so is my trepidation to leave behind my boyfriend. I hand in my resignation at Coles after five and a half years and am elated. I continue to rely on my boyfriends support in my darkest time, in the absence of a friendship I assumed would always be there. I give Jayden a shirt with my face on it so he can’t forget me while I’m away. He gets me a really sweet necklace. I move out of my rental after a year. 

July: Finally! Visa is approved! I fly two days later. I surprisingly don’t cry when I say goodbye to my family and boyfriend at the gate. The last my family sees of me for two months is Jayden slapping my ass hard enough to make up for my two months away. I fly all the way to the Big Apple alone, start my internship, make a heap of new friends, start drinking beer, drunk Facetime Jayden at least a few times a week, and have an absolute ball. Summer in New York City is incredible. 

August: Hell yeah, I get to write blog posts for work at my internship. More partying, making new friends, eating buffalo chicken, sunbaking in Central Park, playing Beer Pong at work, missing my boyfriend and family. Soul-searching. Going through phases of anger, betrayal and resentment for my problems back home, but mostly pushing it out of mind and enjoying myself. Having the time of my life. I read a heap of books. 

September: I complete my internship. Jayden comes to see me. We stay in Jersey City and have an absolute ball, and these two weeks go by faster than any time has ever gone in my whole life. He tells me he loves me for the first time at the top of the Empire State Building. Before I know it, I’m being dragged onto a plane back to Australia. I don’t want to leave, New York feels like my new home. I get an apple tattoo before I leave. I am disgusted at how cold it is when I get home, but am excited by the colourful money and Aussie accents. I can’t wait until I can go back to the city that never sleeps. 

October: Job searching. Still too cold. Jayden is so good to me, better than I deserve when I am an emotional mess more often than not. All the problems I left behind at home are worse now that I’m back. I start tutoring high school students in English, and read a couple of books. Complain I’m not in New York. Jayden’s family is too good to me, and my best friend opens her home to me. Continue to complain I’m not in New York. 

November: Still not hot enough, I dream of being back in New York in summer. I get a job at Lorna Jane, and I am stoked I get to wear Lorna Jane to work and get staff discount. I have so many mood swings and go between “I hate everyone” and “I forgive everyone” quicker than turning on a light switch. 

December so far: Working at Lorna Jane. Wear a Christmas hat and bell earrings to work to spread the Christmas cheer. Actually miss the Christmas carols at Coles. Trying to figure out what to do for the first Christmas that my family is not one. Learn that some people see no wrong in their actions. I hope one day those people will be able to reflect on themselves and see what pain they’ve caused others, and question whether it was worth it. Hope and pray that 2017 will be more ups than downs. 

December remaining: This week my Mum and little sisters move into their new home. I hope that there are no more nasty surprises or challenges to be thrown our way, but I know after everything we’ve been through this year, Mum, my sisters and I are going to be fine. We can only go up from here. I plan to get an amazing tan over Christmas, if only the sun would stick around like a good summer sun should. 

2016 was a weird one. 

It was the quickest year of my life, by far. The worst but also the best.

2017 is going to be even better. Going in with my man by my side, my sisters and I closer than ever, and my Mum moving forward with her new house, new start, and all of her daughters for support.

So many other things (highs, lows and middles) happened this year. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it. 

2016 has taught me a lot of things. How to love, how to sympathise, how to heal, how to treat people. I can’t wait to see what lessons I’ll learn in 2017. And I can’t wait to leave behind all the negativity in 2016. Onwards and upwards. 💕