2018 in review

What a year!
According to my Google 2018 review I visited 12 countries and 41 cities, travelling the equivalent distance of 1.5 times around the world. Kinda crazy, all things in perspective.
It's that time of the year when people reflect on things and with my first day of school for the year tomorrow, I guess a bit of that has rubbed off on me.

Many of the best and worst moments of my life have happened in the last year. I have met some incredible people, had some of the greatest victories and the most impressive failures, the deepest feelings, significant moments, craziest adventures, challenging circumstances, I could go on.
           
So what have I learned from it all?
There's a song from one of my favourite bands that says, 
"Ashes from the flames 
The truth is what remains
The truth is what you save
From the fire
And you fight for what you love 
Don't matter if it hurts 
You find out what it's worth 
And you let the rest burn"
It's funny when one examines their life and realises the most epic moments are not defined by how old the building is, how beautiful the scenery, or how exhilarating the activity, but rather by how fulfilled one feels in the moment. Fulfillment comes from meaning, meaning comes from purpose, purpose comes from value, value comes from worth. 
I have been to some of the most beautiful, most historic, most significant structures and sites in the world in this last year. It has been wonderful, I love a good adventure as much as the next person, and suspect I'll never quite manage to rid myself of the travel bug. But I think this year, more than ever before, I've realised when the fire comes, I see the real worth of things. Holding on to the fight for truth, for what and who are important, even when it hurts - especially when it hurts - brings greater fulfillment than any attraction ever could.
So that was 2018 for me. Learning to value myself, to see myself as someone with something significant to offer, to see that value in others and be okay with telling them about it. To be willing to "let the rest burn" if that was what it took.
Feeling like I've only just scraped the surface, here's a tentative toast to 2019, the year of promise. My nervous excitement mixed with eager anticipation is a sure sign of plenty more adventure to come.

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