2011 was a trying year. Thank goodness for the great times, hey? And lucky due to my blog, I can relive it, feeling by feeling, word by word.

The year has brought me many incredible highs – an Australia Day medal, a finalist place in a national blog competition, speaking at AusBlogCon, a feature in a national glossy magazine and also a UK magazine, an interview on Triple J’s Hack, being named Woman of the Week on The Hoopla, interviews with musicans Steve Poltz and Tania Doko, and seeing some incredible concerts including meeting my idol Darren Hayes and scoring a heap of official merchandise at Kings of Leon. I also made some wonderful new friends and enjoying spending time with loved ones. This was my favourite (and one of the most difficult) blog posts I’ve written in 2011: Untouched. And I launched carlyfindlay.com! I am incredibly lucky and blessed to have worked my way into the part of the media industry that I really enjoy and respect.

I don’t want to reflect too much on the year that has been, because it has been a difficult one. I’ve had extremely sore skin, have cut my thumb terribly and burnt my hand, and had a broken heart. I have discovered the emotional pain far far outweighs physical pain. I had an awful interesting time doing online dating.The four hour drives to and from Albury over the Christmas break gave me quite a bit of thinking time – to the point where as soon as Adele’s Someone Like You came on the radio 20 km up the Hume, I burst into tears. That pretty much sums up the second part of my 2011. I learned a lot about unconditional and unrequited love, dependence and desperation, the impacts of being a fan, grief and happiness this year.

And I know that 2011 has been a tough one for so many close to me. The future can only get better. 

So here’s to looking forward. To a fantastic 2012 where I will finish my thesis about blogging and chronic illness, plan my trip to America, stay as well as I can, and continue to reach for the stars in my writing and speaking career.

Happy New Year everyone! May your celebrations be fun and safe, and 2012 bring you happiness, your dreams and memories to cherish.