It's the time of the year again.
Where we reflect on the days that have passed since we last screamed,
"Happy New Year!".
Hogmanay in Edinburgh
What a way to start the new year. Squeezed in a human traffic jam, a moment of awe while watching the fireworks display, and that bittersweet pang when singing, "Auld Lang Syne".
Made amazing new friends, danced and laughed all the way home, missed the faces of home but had my closest girl friends by my side to ease the ache and I could never be more grateful for them!
The Last
My first Valentine's date. My first Birthday where I wasn't separated by distance. Our first road trip, our first trip for that matter.
At a point where I thought I'd given up, he proved to me that he was true. That my past hurts will never, never repeat itself while he still has breath in this mortal life. My love, my laughter, my last. My forever.
Graduation
The bloody nightmare of a thesis was finally over. All that mattered now was that I graduated. What's done is done.
Nothing comforted me more than my proud parents smiling, seeing me in my graduation gown. My ass of a brother that I unfortunately love very dearly, giving me a bear hug as soon as I received that measly certificate.
Showing my parents places they've only read about in books we grew up with.
The "Rock Wercther" Trip
The perfect summary to my three short years in that part of the world. With the same girls who saw me through my struggles.
The new friends I will forever treasure and never forget. Rediscovering the streets I love and getting lost in them all over again. Quiet contemplation along canals and on long train rides, as faces, places pass you by.
Music brings you back to moments, emotions, experiences - all, nearly forgotten. And when the last note rings out clear and you sink slowly back down to reality, you choose your perception on what has passed, what is, and what will come. I chose gratitude and hope.
Leaving Glasgow
Bittersweet.
A big part of me felt ready to leave. To say I was sick and tired of Glasgow however, would be a lie. I will forever hold dear the memories in 243, High Street with the irreplaceable Elaine :)
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Friends that have seen me grow from a naive, reckless girl to an older, reckless girl. New friends through current friends, couchsurfing, chance encounters. People I will never ever forget. Never ever.
Cafes that have seen laughter, furious scribbling in notebooks, silent painful tears, weary studying, gossip, intimate conversations, or just quiet moments staring out the window. Packing three years worth of memories in two massive boxes, one huge check-in luggage, and little others stuffed into my parents' suitcases.
Saying a satisfied goodbye to every hurt I found in Glasgow. Wondering if I will ever meet some of my friends again. Then when a dear friend, on short notice, walked 40 minutes to come and say goodbye on the day I was to leave, I was comforted. Knowing I will always have somewhere to go back to.
Kuching. Home.
The fact that I was home for good needed some getting used to. Being away for a few years, changes you. Perspectives change. Oh, but it didn't take long before I embraced the very things about Kuching that I once sneered at. And found faults in things I used to be so comfortable with. Ah, life. Spending precious time with family, the boyfriend, and my dearest friends. Looking back at memories of the past and reflecting on what has changed since then. Looking forward. Being home really keeps one rooted to the ground. A quiet reminder of where you came from, how far you've come and how much more you can achieve. If anything, I am renewed :)
Crossing Checklists of What I've Missed
Time with God. Mum's birthday. Beaches with My Love. His birthday. Dad's birthday. Date night. Family dinners. Youth camps. Empowered Youth Ministry. Friends' Annual Reunion Dinner. New Year's Eve with familiar faces.
Christmas at Home
My heart is at ease. To have an entirely new appreciation for Christmas, not only in it's true meaning, the immense significance of the celebration of Jesus' birth. But also, the added reward of celebrating it with family, my love, and longtime friends.
Caroling? Check. Christmas Dinner with Family? Check. Midnight Mass at St. Joseph's Cathedral? Check. Porridge at Chu's after Midnight Mass? Check. Christmas Meal with My Love? Check.
Thank You, Jesus. Thank You.
Kina Grannis. Imaginary Friend. Herman Dune. Blink 182. Selah Sue. Skrillex. Metric. Bombay Bicycle Club. Gossip. Jack White. Pearl Jam. Beirut. Deadmau5. Alabama Shakes. Noah and The Whale. Nneka. Kasabian. Mumford and Sons. The XX. Regina Spektor. Incubus. Paul Kalkbrenner. Jack White. Florence and The Machine. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Photo Credits: Hobart, Elaine, Yi Won, Paoyee, Dan, Toby, Myself.
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