If I'm honest, 2019 has been one massive blur. It's December before we know it and I feel like I've spent the majority of the year trying to find out who I am and where I slot into the confusing puzzle that is life. I've travelled to new places, made lots of new friends and even had afternoon tea in Royal Residence. I've watched myself overcome so many obstacles and I'm flourishing into a confident, independent young woman who's ready to take on the next stage of her life.
Tonight I'll be celebrating a decade full of success, love and magic with my nearest and dearest, and a bottle of gin. This time next year, I hope I'll be telling you about 12 months of adventures, happiness and success (hopefully passing my driving test) but for now, I'm going share some of my highlights of 2019.
The 1975
I started the year in London which is where I seem to have spent the majority of the first half of 2019.
In January I went to see the 1975 at the O2 Arena with my best friend Liv and they were absolutely out of this world. Not only are they my favourite band but getting to see them perform live at the O2 was an experience in itself; a real dream come true. We jumped around and sang all night, there really is no better feeling than hearing some of your favourite songs performed live. Truly, it was the perfect way to kick the year off in style.
Kensington & Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace
February was a strange month. I experienced a little bit of heartbreak and spent a lot my time trying to get back to my old fun-loving self.
This was helped by a girly weekend trip to London with my lovely Mum. We stayed in Kensington and explored everything that the district had to offer including my first trip to Harrods which was beyond my wildest dreams. Whilst we were there we also took a trip to Kensington Palace, saw the Princess Diana Dresses Exhibition and stopped for a spot of afternoon tea, which was an experience I'll never forget. I felt like a Princess the entire weekend and I wrote a whole
blog post about it, if you fancy a read.
Cornwall
February also saw us take our annual family trip to Newquay or as I like to call it, my home away from home. As most of you know, Cornwall holds a special place in my heart and every time I visit I leave a little part of me there. It's where I'm at my happiest. We spent the week in beautiful sunshine doing coastal walks, browsing the boutiques and running along the beach with Buster. And yes, it is February, the sky really was that blue and it is as warm as it looks.
A Night At The Florist
March was incredibly busy, it was a month of celebrations, making new friends and reconnecting with others.
I started the month by taking a trip to the Florist in Liverpool with one of my close friends
Francesca. We met in High School and we've been friends for almost eight years but we lost contact when our lives got busy and we embarked on the blur that was University. However this year we decided to go for coffee and it was like we'd never stopped speaking - you couldn't shut us up and that to me is a sign of true friendship.
We planned a cute girly night in Liverpool where we got dressed up, went to some very snazzy bars and drank some very lovely cocktails. It was one of my favourite nights of the year and although it only seems small, it was a true highlight.
Mum's 60th
Then the celebrations started. My best friend, also known as my Mum, turned 60. I know, she doesn't look a day over 21. It was the most special day spent with wonderful people and trust me when I say, she treasured every second. We had afternoon tea, a big meal with the family and then I whisked her away on a special trip to London to see...
Phantom of the Opera
Mum absolutely loves going to the theatre and her favourite musical is Phantom of the Opera so as a special treat for her birthday, I booked us tickets to see the show in London. It was my first time seeing it and I must say, everything about it was beautiful. Mum cried when she opened the tickets and cried during the show but they were happy tears and it's safe to say that her 60th is definitely one she'll remember. Although, Phantom is going to be a hard present to top next year.
You'll be glad to know that's last trip to London for the year but March didn't stop there. I met some lovely new friends and went to my first ever Bongos Bingo in Manchester which is up there with my favourite nights of the year. It was non stop laughs and my childhood dreams came true when Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe from Blue made a special appearance - I'm still in shock to be honest.
Good Friday Derby
In April I went to my first ever Saints Vs Wigan Good Friday Derby. As most of you know, I took quite an interest in rugby league last year and that has continued into 2019. The Good Friday Derby is one of the biggest games in the rugby league calendar and as my first, it didn't disappoint. The sun was shining, the atmosphere was electric and to top it off nicely, we won.
Turning 22 & Ghetto Golf
And then I turned twenty two, the age I've been dreaming of since Taylor Swift wrote a song about it. My birthday was one of my favourite days of the year and as always, my family and friends treated me like a princess. I had a super chill day, went for a meal with the family and then extended the celebrations at Ghetto Golf with my friends where we had the most hilarious night.
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty twooooo!
The Races and Nile Rodgers & Chic
The birthday celebrations continued with a trip to Haydock Races to see Nile Rodgers and Chic. We spent the evening placing a few bets and dancing in the late summer sunshine to the grooviest of tunes. It was my third time seeing Nile Rodgers and Chic but I love them more and more each time. I leave their shows feeling so happy and literally dancing down the streets. They're amazing!
Finishing Roaccutane!
It wouldn't be my 2019 highlights post if I didn't mention the fact that I finished my course of roaccutane. I won't go into it too much because there's a whole post about
my experience on the blog but all I will say is that I'm so confident and for the first time in my life I feel beautiful in my own skin. It truly has worked miracles and although it was tough, it's one of the best decisions I made this year.
Dad's 60th
July was also a month of celebration as my Dad turned the big 60 too. He truly celebrated in style and somehow made his celebrations last for the whole month. It was a time for family, friends and lots of laughter and I know he had the most wonderful celebration. I don't say it enough, but I'm so proud to call them my Mum and Dad.
Amsterdam
This summer was by far one of the most amazing summers of my life. I finally ticked something off my bucket list and went on a long-awaited trip to Amsterdam. If you read my
2019 Resolutions, you'll know that this was one of the things I really wanted to do this year and I'm so glad I did. I wrote a post all about our
adventures in Amsterdam, including me crashing a pedal boat, so all I'm going to say is that the trip was a real dream come true, we met the most wonderful people and I left a piece of my heart in Amsterdam.
Amazing Blog Opportunities
This year I've been incredibly fortunate to have the most amazing blogging opportunities. Not only have I made friends for life but I've been given the opportunity to attend bar launches and work with brands I could only dream of. It still baffles me that people read my rambles on here but I'm so glad that you do, it really does meant the world to me and I'm so grateful for every opportunity that presents itself.
Super League Grand Final
As I said, 2019 saw me continue my interest in rugby league. My Dad and I spent the majority of our Friday nights watching the Saints and cheering them on from wherever we could. This year we made it to the Grand Final at Old Trafford and WE WON!!!! It was one of the most stressfully amazing days, the atmosphere was electric and I still smile just thinking about it.
Not only has it been a crazy season for Saints, its also been a pleasure to go to the games with my Dad. I absolutely love our father-daughter rugby evenings and I already can't wait for the new season to start!
Christmas Party
Fast forward to December and it was finally Christmas party season. This year, our work party was Hollywood themed and it was such a fun night. It was the chance to twirl round in a pretty long dress and wear lot of sparkles so as you can imagine, I was in my element. I absolutely loved everything about the evening from the decor to the music to the company. It's going to be a hard one to beat next year!
Family
My family have played a huge part in making 2019 as successful and wonderful as it has been. If it wasn't for their constant support, optimism and advice I don't know how I would've made it through the year. They've helped through the hard times by making me laugh when I wanted to cry, given me the best advice on all my dramas and they constantly remind me of my worth - even my little partner in crime who's always there with a cuddle. I'm truly blessed with the best and I look forward to entering the new decade with them.
Friendship
If there's one thing I'm proud of this year, it's my friends. They're all doing amazing things; one of them has moved to China to pursue her dreams, another is a little clever clogs doing a Masters Degree and others have finally graduated from University. These guys are my personal cheerleaders, constantly picking me up when I'm down and making me howl with laughter when I don't even feel like smiling. I'm thankful for every single one of them, for all the laughs, the tears and the impromptu nights out. They're just wonderful and I can't wait to see what 2020 brings for us all.
Overall, it's been chilled year but a good one. It's taught me a lot about myself but I'm thankful that I'm still healthy and that my family are too. I feel so lucky to have had such wonderful experiences, amazing opportunities and met some absolutely beautiful people. I'm walking into 2020 grateful, happy and motivated to make it not only a successful year but a successful decade.
I hope you all have a fantastic New Year and that 2020 is filled with love, happiness, health and a little sprinkle of pixie dust!
Lots of Love,
Meg x
