Day 11: 11 things I've learnt this year.

Happy Last Day of 2011 everyone! It feels strange to not be looking back over the year in this post, like last year.. I was going to somehow mention it quickly before I realised that that was what I have been doing over the past 10 days. Originally, this list was going to be what I was looking forward to most next year. I thought that 10 days of looking back was enough and that I should start looking forward. But then I thought that it wouldn't feel right (and it didn't feel right while trying to write it) to just ignore the year on it's very last day. 2011 has been one of the best years of my life. I've done so much this year, achieved so much and so it feels very fitting for my last post of this year to be a list of the things the year has taught me. I hope you all have a fantastic night and that the beginning of the New Year is as magical as it should be. See you in 2012, enjoy!

1. I needed to get a job. - I didn't really think I needed a job, just that having one would be a good thing to be able to put on my UCAS application. I was wrong. It turns out that, when you turn 1 and going out is an actual option, having money helps. Which means having a job helps. Who knew.
2. Compromise is hard.
3. I need a Sheldon in my life. - I am so completely, head over heels in love with Sheldon that whenever I watch the Big Bang Theory and I remember that I don't have him in my life, I get a little sad.
4. I shouldn't wait to do things. - Who knows what might happen. If I want to do something, I shouldn't let anything hold me back. Learning this was one of the most freeing experiences I've ever had. I wouldn't have half the memories I do have if I'd let something as silly as "I'm afraid of heights" or "What will they think?" stop me. Seizing the moment is incredible. 
5. I need to learn to manage money. - I have none but I have a job. WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?!
6. My resolutions should be more like this year's. - This year's resolution was the best one I've ever had. It's flexible enough that it didn't have the horrible weighty feeling that normal resolutions do and following it was so much fun, I've kept it up all year long. 
7. Growing up isn't essential, maturity is. - I'm sure someone (Anthony) will disagree with this thinking but anyway. I was always worried that when you hit 18 (or adulthood) you'd have to grow up. There would be no more messing around or doing childish things, it would just be grown up stuff all the time. And then I turned 18 and lots of things made me realise this wasn't the case, from magazine articles to a few wise words from a blogger. I learnt that I didn't need to "grow up" as such. I could still dress up in stupid outfits or skip places or dance whenever I wanted to or play tag. Giving up on those things didn't make me an adult, it made my life a lot less fun. Becoming an adult, to me anyway, is more about recognising that you can still have fun or be a child at heart but that you need to be serious and mature about the important aspects of life. You need to be responsible and take responsibility and learning that was so refreshing. I was worried I'd be stuck moaning about taxes in a grey suit for the rest of my life. 
8. Nothing beats having your Mum there when you're ill.
9. My capacity to hate English can actually grow.
10. Balance is important. - All I had written in my notebook for this was "Balance". When I came to write this post, I looked at my scribble and thought "What the hell? Why haven't I written more? I could have at least given myself a clue. Balance what? What am I supposed to write about that?!" I toyed with the idea of just thinking of a new thing but I knew I'd written it for a reason so I just kept trying to remember. I'm not sure I actually remembered exactly what I'd wanted to write but what I've come up with is that I meant balance in all aspects of life. Balance between social life and work life. Balance between friends and family. Balance between boyfriend and everything else. Balance of food (at the moment, it is heavily on the side of junk food). Balance between fun and serious. Balance between happy and sad. I've learnt this year that it's important to have the balance between things in your life, too much of one thing can be harmful, even if that thing is something as fun as well.. fun. You need some serious, some sad, some willpower but you don't want too much. I'm still trying to find that balance but knowing I need to is at least further than I was last year.
11. I don't have it all figured out. - And that's OK.