It's three weeks late but better late than never right? I figured that since 2015 was so incredibly... amazing in the looking back 'hey on hindsight that was a blessing in disguise' kind of way. It deserved a post on its on. So yea, here goes - I hope I do it justice...
[January] crossed the midnight mark with an amazing group of friends all squashed into this tiny hotel room. till date, i think this event remains one of the proudest thing that i managed to put together. i rmbr cabbing off to my first meal of bak chor mee with someone... after taking about 5 whiskey shots. not the best decision. i started the year with a lot of love and a whole lot more trepidation, nervously sending emails back and forth getting a heart attack with every reply and really just going full blown panic attack break down mode.
[February] this month was a whirlwind. it marked #brennahk our first trip abroad outside of straya! despite the food poisoning it really was great - traveling with friends is a whole different and fresh kind of experience which i really appreciate. prior to my family moving into our siglap condo, my parents gave me the keys and allowed me to host as many sleepovers as i wanted. i didn't go house party cray but i had some close friends over for really precious intimate gatherings. i made a decision to not stay for chinese new year and flew back to melbourne alone. i fell so seamlessly back into my melbourne routine - grocery shopping at queen vic, exploring melbourne cbd and just downright loving the late summer weather. i also moved into the new room and remember falling asleep thinking to myself how perfect life was. towards the end of the month, it was a lot of emails, meetings and frantic phone calls both domestic and international laced with a lot of tears and 'what now?'s. upset, disappointed and lost was an understatement. i consulted a select number of friends and broke down even further just knowing how loved and supported i was every step of the way. in the span of perhaps one and a half weeks - i made a decision to leave melbourne for perth. i had no place to stay, no one to take over my rent, no real solid foolproof plan - but i packed up and moved in four days upon getting my acceptance. this month probably changed my year maybe life even because i was faced with some really really tough and starkly contrasting decisions. i took a leap of faith and honestly - things couldn't be any better.
[March] i moved into 20 park road with a friend i've known for a bit and two others who i've probably only exchanged 'hello's with. i was back in perth and there was a strange sense of familiarity and acceptance that in the short 6 months that i was gone - perth had changed and so did i. apart from the administrative nightmare i was so thankful for my friends who welcomed me with open arms and really just helped me settle back in to sleepy charming city once again.
[April] i really got to know my housemates a lot better and grew to truly form some sort of a bond - movie nights, paper ball competitions and sunday gaming sessions became a thing. i finally could play fifa, halo and gears of war without walking off the edge of the screen. i also remember having a lovely late night conversation with van, then walking out to my driveway for some fresh air and witnessing a shooting star appear right over our house. it was then that i realised what a magical place 20 park road was going to be (and indeed did become). one of my most striking memories was attending the ed sheeran concert, coming home floating on a high sitting in my driveway with the cool spring breeze and thinking of myself how everything i have - love friendship experiences - i had it in abundance. brenda and i made a pretty spontaneous decision and flew to meet each other in the lovely cairns for some snorkelling at the great barrier reef. honestly, i still dream of going out to sea with crystal blue waters myraid of aquatic life and kaleidoscopic reefs again.
[May] in an attempt to make me a more 'outdoorsy' person to fit into their sporty house/lifestyle, my housemates and i took a 7 hour road trip up north for some hiking in kalbarri. it was gorgeous and really wasn't thaaat bad. on our way back to Perth, we hit a kangaroo. our car skidded about 150m and crashed straight into a bush in the middle of nowhere with 0 phone reception. we hitchhiked, called a tow truck and found ourselves in geraldton at midnight with no car to drive back to perth and all the rental shops closed the following day. we stayed in geraldton for two nights, rolled down sand hills, threw mud at each other, had a bbq and i had my worst haunted night ever. it was an experience. feeling burnt out, overwhelmed and just downright home sick, i flew back to singapore for mother's day and got reminded of why i chose the path i chose and what kept me going every night after falling asleep at my desk.
[June] probably did one of my biggest stupidest mistakes ever but i got through it all the same. at this point, curveballs were pretty much a common fixture in my life. after some really harrowing days, i handed in my thesis. i remember staying alone in that house for about a week, going slightly crazy at the sudden silence and naming our house spider Tom. at the end of the month, I flew to Sydney for my 'graduation' trip.
[July] i found myself back in melbourne in 1009 milano for a couple weeks, binging on korean dramas, going on a skiing trip and just soaking in the wonder that was melbourne. we then embarked on a week long road trip around tasmania. the views, the mountains, the skies and stars were just really ridiculous. we also almost missed our flight back to melbourne no thanks to a storm and fallen trees. also had my first wild wombat experience!
[August] i flew back to perth for my last 3 weeks. the housemates took another road trip down south and went a little crazy at the vineyards this time. i remember thinking to myself that i honestly don't know how i lived my life without knowing this amazing group of people. i was the live-in cook for those few weeks before i packed up for good and brought my coke can home.
[September] i unpacked to a brand new room, a slightly different house and a brand new car. it was a new beginning with a lot of fresh starts. i took this chance and transformed my space into the dream room it is now. every now and then i still sigh and go wow i love this room is it really mine? i struggled a little to settle down back home and into the hustle and bustle once again. my friends and family made everything a million times easier.
[October] i mustve been really restless as i booked a flight to taiwan. it was 5 full days of eating, shopping and sleeping - i wouldn't have had it any other way. i was really just taking my time reconnecting with friends and spending all the quality time with my family that i had to give up by studying abroad.
[November] one of my biggest accomplishments in life - i finally obtained my driving license! i honestly thought i failed and i guesssss you can call it a pity pass but you have no idea how happy i was. this meant so much to me.
[December] for the first time in two years, i helped to put up the christmas tree. my license provided me with some newfound freedom and independence. we put together the finishing touches for our japan trip and scooted off to osaka for christmas and the new year.
i'm quite sorry for the word vomit but i was scrolling through my photo library on my phone and just reminiscing how 2015 really proved itself to be one of the best years of my life. but of course i have many more years ahead and one day this year will probably find itself lower and lower on the list, who knows? but for now, 2015 really was a monumental year for me. it means so much in terms of my own personal and emotional growth. i've come to terms with so many things this year, i've grown and learnt so much. the people i've meant this year have become some really important and treasured people in this point of my life right now - in shaping who i am and who i want to be.
in the short span of 3 weeks, 2016 seems to already be off to a roaring start. ive had one closed door nailed firmly shut which has strangely brought me quite a bit of relief and another door swinging right open into a whole new world of exciting scary thrilling things! just thinking about my schedule for the next few weeks ahead and i'm almosttttt melting into a huge pile of worries and anxiousness but i guess after living the past few months on 'chill' mode it's really time for me to get my engines roaring again. so here's to bigger, brighter and better things ahead!
