Last year was definitely one of my favourite years. Ever.
I lived and studied in Montreal, Canada for 5 months and had the most amazing time.
I went skiing for the first time in my life, drank piña coladas by the beach in Cuba, went on a shopping marathon in New York and white water rafting in Banff.
I discovered Bikram yoga, travelled by myself (and realised it’s amazing!) and became so much more independent.
I recommend studying abroad to anyone that asks (and the people that don’t), but there are a couple of things you have to do to get the most out of the experience:
Put yourself out there
Yes, it’s scary. And it’s really uncomfortable.
But all of the amazing things that happened in 2013 happened because I put myself out there – I got uncomfortable, I talked to people I didn’t know, I said yes to things that I normally wouldn’t, I travelled by myself.
And it was scary – I’m a shy person.
But I truly had the more fun in while I was on exchange than I’ve ever had and it wouldn’t have happened if I stayed in my comfort zone. So next, put yourself out there and try something you’ve never tried before!
The other thing I learned?
Invest in your relationships
Relationships are the most important thing in our lives.
It doesn’t matter if we have everything else that we want – if we don’t have good relationships then the rest means nothing!
Steve and I have been together for 6 years (holy shit) but there’s no way that Steve and I would have made it through 5 months of being on opposite sides of the world if we didn’t both put time and effort into the relationship – it’s so important!
This goes for relationships with friends and family as well and the best thing is, it’s never too late to reconnect!
If you’ve fallen out with someone you care about make the decision to put your ego aside (no matter what happened) and start investing in that relationship again, it’s worth it.
And as for new friends, they’re the thing that truly made my year worth remembering!
Happy new year!
Sam xx
Happy New Year gorgeous! I’m glad you had a great 2013, it was pretty amazing for me too. Putting myself out there it is definitely something I have to do more, it is not easy but I’ll take your advice and try to do it.
I wish you the best for this brand new year! ♥
http://www.mursway.com/
Hi Constance,
Thanks so much for your comment – I’m glad you had a great 2013! You’re definitely right, putting ourselves out there isn’t easy but it’s so worth it when we do! Maybe you’ll also like the post I just put up about fear and rejection as this is what usually holds us back from putting ourselves out there!
All the best for 2014, can’t wait to see what you accomplish!
Sam xx
New subscriber and I am glad that I found your blog. I am a twenty something and I enjoy your posts. I agree with your point about putting yourself out there. This is one of the things I am working on. In 2013 I learned that I need to take more action and move forward. So many times we have many dreams and ideas, but are afraid to take action due to fear of failure or fear of putting ourselves out there. Great post!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoy my posts & thank you for subscribing to my blog – I appreciate it so much!
I totally agree – taking action and moving forward is something that I’m working on too. It’s so easy to find excuses for why we shouldn’t but if we let ourselves make them then we’ll never get anywhere!
Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts in the future 🙂
Sam xx