Today I turn the big 23! This year somehow feels like a milestone birthday and I’m finding myself in denial of my age. 23 is young, yes. But it’s not quite as young as 22.

The past couple of weeks have been crazy. With a surprise pre-birthday trip to the rocky mountains (boyfriend points, tick), a visit from my wonderful parents (parent points, tick) and just yesterday a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my incredibly thoughtful best friends (yes, more brownie points) i’m feeling pretty much on top of the world.

When we left Asia I worried that perhaps life would calm down and we would somehow find normality. You know, the normality that means you can’t have fun because you have work in the morning or the normality that means you stop exploring what’s around you. But i’ve soon come to realise that ‘this’ is normality, because ultimately, normality is what you create. Spontaneity, surprises, adventure and love can all be part of it, and I think it’s important not to forget that.

I reflect back on the past year and it’s up there with one of the best years of my life. Okay, i’ll be honest. It’s probably been the best year of my life. I’ve accomplished so much, learned so much, seen so much and developed so much. It’s been a pretty good ride. I’m a strong believer that you should never stop learning – about the world, your profession and indeed about yourself. I think we will never stop benefiting from learning more about anything and everything, because after all, knowledge is power and power is knowledge.

So today marks another year older and hopefully another year wiser. I’m looking forward to a year of fun, progression and of course SO many visitors, and I can’t wait for what this next year will bring…(fingers crossed a puppy Bernese…birthday present anyone?) xxxx