Looking Back on 2018 and its Highlights

As I'm typing this post, I am dumbfounded at how quickly this year has passed, as I remember writing this very post reflecting on 2017 like it was yesterday. I always used to get so aggravated when older people would repeatedly preach that "time flies, these are the best years of your life, make the most of it before it's gone", but I'm now starting to see finally the truth in what they so passionately told me.

2018 has been a year full of growth (personal and educational), putting myself out there and setting myself up to have a prosperous future. Here were my resolutions that I set myself for 2018:

• Pass 1st year with good grades
• Complete a summer internship (preferably with a fashion-related company)
• Travel Travel Travel
• Say yes to more opportunities

I can say with fair confidence that I did in fact achieve my resolutions this year. I was pleased with my 1st year University results (even though they don't count towards my degree), I completed 3 summer internships all at fashion-related companies in the editorial industry, I said yes to many opportunities (hence the internships!) and I visited a number of countries with my friends and family that I'd never been to before.

My resolutions for 2019 are:

• Pass 2nd year with good grades (good grades will continue to be a resolution until I finish my degree!!)
• Secure (a) placement(s) in the fashion industry for my year abroad
• Learn more about Crystal Healing and apply it to my life (self-care, people)
• Try and show as much compassion and kindness to others

Highlights of 2018:

Took a Day Trip to Paris with my Sister

My sister and I decided to take a day trip to Paris on a very spontaneous whim. Since Paris is my favourite place in the entire world, I adored spending 12 hours gallivanting around the beautiful city with my sister and recreating some of the cutest photos we'd seen on Pinterest!

Went to Amsterdam

My sister, my best friend, my sister's best friend and I enjoyed a glorious mini-break to Amsterdam to enjoy the sights and culture. As I had never been, it was fascinating to explore a new city and we had the best time cycling around Vondelpark on our rented bikes. It was an absolutely hilarious adventure with some of the best people in my life.

Attended my first University Summer Ball

 Completing my first year at University was a brilliant achievement from me and I couldn't have imagined a better way to celebrate this accomplishment than attending my first Summer Ball with my best friend. We glammed ourselves up, popped the high heels on and drank champagne until our hearts were content. Bliss.

Interned at 3 major Publishing Companies

This Summer was incredibly exciting for me and I worked at my hardest to try and get my foot in the fashion industry's door. I interned at The Sun Newspaper on the Fashion Desk, Condeé Nast in Vogue House and Women's Health Magazine. Each of these experiences exposed me to different angles of the editorial industry and I met some truly dazzling people during my time interning. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity and I will cherish everything I learnt.

Attended my Sister's Graduation

Watching my sister graduate from Nottingham University was a very proud sister moment for me. My whole family attended to ceremony and it was a truly heart-warming experience; making me look forward to my own graduation in 2 years time!

Had my first Virtual Reality Experience

Consulting Tripadvisor to find something entertaining to do in London with my Godmother lead us to trying out our first ever Virtual Reality experience. Learning the ropes was tricky at first and as someone who hasn't been gifted with the blessing of good balance, it took some getting used to. But once I settled into it, I had an absolute blast; and there is no-one else I would have rather shared this hilarious, exhilarating experience with than my fabulous godmother and god-sister.

Went to Rome and saw my first Opera

Voyaging to Rome with my mum and sister was a perfect way to spend summer - albeit the temperature had us practically melting into the streets! We gazed at all of the intricately beautiful buildings and monuments and consumed as much gelato as we could get our hands on. The highlight of this trip for me though was the Opera that my mum booked for us to see. It was located in an open-air theatre (a first experience for us) and we saw Carmen - the opera of all operas. PLUS, it was all sung in French, which I evidently loved from the first minute. I have since fallen in love with the Opera and have continued to watch Carmen twice more this year in London!

Went to Rhodes with my Boyfriend

Taking a trip to a warm, beach destination with my boyfriend has become a sort of ritual over the past two years. This summer, we decided to try somewhere new for both of us - the Greek island of Rhodes. We managed to find a fantastic all-inclusive package deal at a brilliantly affordable price (bearing in mind I am a student with a VERY limited budget) and we loved every second of it. One of the best parts, though, was having a little reunion with one of my oldest, closest friends as she was completing a season at a Mark Warner resort a few towns over. She very kindly gave the both of us a waterskiing and wake-boarding lesson each, and to my surprise, I got the hang of it rather quickly! 

Went to Athens and Paros with my Family

Family holidays are something I now cherish, as both my sister and I are growing up and our time-schedules are becoming more restrictive. We chose to visit Athens as we had never been before (despite us having Greek roots?! Ok fine, Cypriot roots...) and then the beautiful island of Paros for a week. The holiday was a roaring success as we soaked up as much Greek Mythology as we could in Athens and enjoyed the blazing sun and idyllic, white-washed cobbled streets of Paros.

Saw Magic Mike Live at the Hippodrome

Magic Mike is not on the list of movies that I've seen, unfortunately, However, after watching the live performance in Leicester Square's very own Hippodrome, that will soon change. I can safe to say I have never seen anything like it; the men had such incredible talents ranging from tap dancing to in-air rope acrobatics. The toplessness and lap-dances were just an added bonus.