2014 Gratitude

First of all...

M E R R Y    C H R I S T M A S

In Australia, it's a beautiful sunny Christmas Eve...

Lots of tourists are around and have taken up the entire foreshore with their tents and

camper vans... I took a stroll through there, and it's all beautiful like a little makeshift village.
Next Summer, I hope to camp there too... Imagine the friends you'd make!

People from all different countries are gathered down there to spend the Summer and

Christmas together... I wonder what tonight will be like in the tent village...
I'm imagining fairy lights, and people gathered around to sing together to welcome Christmas, with the sound of the waves from the beach lulling everyone to sleep... Ah, Christmas... How lovely.

To celebrate this lovely season, I've decided to share part of my Gratitude List with the world.

This year has been... tough, to say the least. With school being a disaster, and more than enough drama for a decade, let alone a year, my mental and emotional state has been pretty up and down...
Thanks to a wonderful woman named Alex, who I've mentioned before, I discovered journalling.

Since I started journalling, anxiety has been much less of a "thing", and my outlook on life has been much more positive. So I'm grateful for Alex. And you can find her here.

In 2014 I am grateful for:

~ Alex from Barcelona. You have inspired me on many occasions, and continue to do so. You have changed my life with your wisdom, and your gentle kindness. Thank you so much for everything.

~ Marcus. You're always there. Literally, always. It feels like we're in a skype call 24/7. This year you've shared my workload, and we've managed two, no... three, massive projects together all while maintaining our ongoing friendship. You've supported me even in my darkest times, and you've held me up to make sure I don't drown in the negativity. You've been my greatest friend. I hope we can keep this friendship going for a long, long time. Maybe even until you smell like a wet dog. I hope you don't ever smell like a wet dog.

~ Zoe. Every time I talk to you, you make me feel so much better about everything. Thank you.

~ Tom P. You're a jerk, but you're hilarious, so that's okay. Thanks for sticking around.

~ Mark. I don't know if we're friends any more, but for the times we had, I'm so grateful. You helped me to see that not every bad thing was a "bad" thing. Thank you for being there, when you were.

~ Ethan. You've literally held our project up by yourself. Without you, it would be long dead. I'm so glad you came along, and not just because you saved it... but because we've grown together and formed one of the best friendships I've ever been a part of. Thank you for being patient with me, even when I'm being lazy.

~ The Server Community. Even the bad eggs.

~ Summer. Oh, Summer. I've never adored you the way I do right now. I'm so blessed to live by the sea.

~ My journal... Thanks again to Alex. The best commitment I've made for myself.

~ Spending time with the relatives. I'm still getting to know a lot of you, but I love every minute we get to spend together. I look forward to making many more memories as we get to be more comfortable around one another.

~ This blog. I have a constant nagging in the back of my mind when it feels like I haven't posted anything on here for a while... and until I do post something, the nagging feeling gets stronger every day. Being able to write about things I care about, and share my writing and opinions with the world is such a wonderful opportunity. I'm so glad I finally committed to this blog, unlike the hundred others I've started and never actually continued...

I could go on with this list forever, but it would take up a dozen or so pages, and I doubt anyone would want to read all of that. For the rest of my gratitude list, the few remaining pages in my journal will have to do. 

In just a few months, I've filled over 350 pages of my journal with my mental rambling, my emotional unloading, my inspirational findings, and many, many gratitude pieces. Unloading with a pen and paper has made my day-to-day life so much easier... If you haven't already, I strongly recommend anyone to pick up a pen and start writing. I'm still discovering the benefits of keeping a journal, and it's been months. But I can honestly say, with my depression, and my anxiety, no medication has ever made me feel as good as being able to unload to a non-judgemental, private, faithful book companion.

I'm going to cut it short and end my post here... I had two other topics that I wanted to cover, but I think this post is pretty lengthy as is. I'll add a few more things to my "to-blog" list, and hopefully will have a new post out for the new year. Thank you to everyone who views this, or will view this in the future. I hope I can inspire some of you, or help you to become inspired, as a lot of people have inspired me in the last few months.

To everyone mentioned above, and everyone who is not mentioned above, I hope your holiday season is a safe and happy one. Lots of love, from Australia. xo