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[Mitsuki]

The year is almost over, guys. So how was 2016 for you in a nutshell? Eventful, stressful, chaotic? Got a new job or married twice? Feel free to give us a glimpse of your year in this thread.

 

[Shaissa]

Well here was my year....

Beginning of the year (Winter/spring)- Finished my first year of college
over summer- Signed up for my second year, got planning on moving away from the apartment I lived in for almost 6 years, got a new job after being at my job for 9 years, and lost a friend that I was friends with since I was little.
Fall/Winter - Moved to my new place/got a new roommate/ lost an old family member and Finishing up my first half of my second year of college

So a lot of joy, stress, pain, sorrow, and craziness overall.

 

[Martel]

In three words? Absolutely fucking miserable.

I think I have had one of the worst years of my life to date. Lots of health-related issues, family drama I really could do without, and general disappointment pretty much everywhere else. Stress, more than a little depression, and a lot of painful months where literally nothing happened which should have served as breathing points but were probably the worst parts of it. I've had maybe one or two good day this year that I can think of, off the top of my head - January 1st, when I was optimistic about things being better than last year (yes, really, I was optimistic) and the day I met my partner...god knows if I'd even have lived to see December without them, honestly. Because of them I can't see 2016 as the worst year of my life ever, but it's a pretty strong contender for it.

Fuck 2016. I'll be so glad when this month is over.

 

[Linnaete]

Decent in some places. Exhausting in many others. I feel like I haven't done a very good job of pacing myself this year and it's culminated in a lot of mad rushes, overwork, substantial periods of anxiety and stress. Oh, and on top of that, the Anglo-American world decided to collectively stick a shiv up its arse in front of the entire world, so that's been a joy to see and to be involved in heated debates with people about...

Besides all that, it's just not been a very remarkable year? I'm not going to remember 2016 other than for all the events occurring around me outside of my control or personal involvement. I've had personal professional disappointments, which I don't exactly wish to recall later on, though the lessons I can draw from them going forward will likely be invaluable.

Sooo yeah, not much to say about 2016. It hasn't been an unfathomably bad year for me, but neither has it been particularly good. There are lessons to be learnt and fingers crossed, I'll take these lessons to heart and learn from them when 2017 rolls in.

 

[Dionysos]

2016...

It's a cliche now to say 'it has been mixed' as all years are compositions of mediocre events with some great and awful moments added to the mixture. 2016's mixture has been extremely hazardous. It is politer to say 'mixed' and pretend to be positive though, and 2016 hasn't been all bad.

I went to the Star Wars Celebration. I went to EGX. Some great movies came out. I had some good days out. There was a family reunion, etc.

But the other side of 2016 has been a very dark and scary place!

My house caught fire (caused by a gas explosion - the forensics are still working out the whole causes). The fire itself was just the beginning. It turns out that dealing with the aftermath of a fire almost becomes a full-time job. Getting a new place to live. Recovering items (what remains of them) from the house. Finding somewhere to put them when you don't have anywhere to put them. Dealing with rumours and reports that people have been snooping. Reconstruction hasn't even started yet. I do not recommend having a fire as a life experience.

On top of that (and all at the same time) my Grandad fell ill and is showing symptoms of a stroke. He's now in a home as it is too dangerous to live in his house. My sister and two year old niece have both had health scares and ended up in hospital.

2016 just keeps pounding me into the dirt! Some years in our lives are just like that I guess?

However, I've tried to remain positive! The Star Wars Celebration was pretty awesome, etc.

 

[Jake]

Honestly don't have much to say. Not sure if I've ever really looked back on a year and reflected. Its all the same to me xD

Not much has changed from last year, I suppose. Hmm, actually no that's a lie. Lots of stuff has changed for the better! There was a fair bit of rough stuff at the beginning and towards the end but overall I feel like I'm ending on a positive note. I'm tired and kinda lethargic at times but still totally chill.

But who knows. There's still a few weeks left for everything to go horribly, horribly wrong

 

[Shu]

Stick to short and sweet or tl;drs? I guess the short and sweet addition is: Change is coming, and I had to make a lot of non snap judgments to mitigate the change.

Without opening up, let's just say this.

1) I quit my job of 10+ years and entered a similar profession in Nashville.
2) I moved to Nashville to take care of my family.
3) I live with two of my best friends now
4) I am waiting to see if we do Christmas this year.

2016 has been what is has been. I've seen enough years now to know this isn't that bad of a year in retrospect. I have my bearings beneath me, I'm restarting a foundation and I'm working with people to do it as well. 2016 taught me a lot. So that's why I can't say it's a bad year.

Let me ask you this.. if you know shade is about to be cast and you have the chance to plan for it, do you have anything to gain from it? I think life is meant to test you in this respect. Resilience is gained only from experience. If your plan, whatever master plan that be in your life starts to waiver, are you the one who abandons it or stubbornly sees it through?

You can plan all you want in your life: a great education, a great relationship which leads to marriage and 3-5 kids, and/or a nice place to live. We all know life itself has so many unknowns that when you actually start to apply these plans.. well they capsize your vessel due to your sails take on too much of the emotional / physical / spiritual stresses. One has to forgo one or all in order to bypass.

2016 has taught me this, how to start weathering the storm that life sometimes brings and the learning to delight in the finer moments with those you love. Some might say I have learned to become a bit more self-spiritual in this regard and to keep pushing newer light into this ole noggin of mine.

In 2017 I think I'll start traveling a bit. Start taking in some more culture and learning the intro to a few other languages. (only speech, not writing)

In 2016:

1) I went to Moscow and learned 40+ words in Russian - 10-15 sentences
2) I made my last trip to Brazil - Learned no new words, but have over 70+ in my arsenal and 10-15 sentences (diminish every year)

In 2017:

1) I want to travel to St Petersburg
2) I want to travel to Berlin
3) I want to travel to Tokyo

 

[Thule Esperada]

A letdown, due to conditions beyond my control. My therapy took a slight setback. It's nothing serious but my social anxiety has worsened from a year back. Plus I had this anxiety attack a few months back which has made me feel really negatively about myself. I hate being like this.

 

[Notorious]

I like to be optimistic even if times have been bad in the past, negativity leads to more negativity so when I reflect on any year I push the bad to the side and focus on the positive. Not to say bad things didn't happen this year but dwelling on them is counter productive at least for me.

I got to do a lot of traveling this year, more so than any other years in my life. I hadn't been on a plane in over a decade and yet I've been on 15+ this year just traveling the states, going to various fun events and seeing sights I've never seen. I live in the southern part of the midwest so I'm just a country boy really so stepping foot on my first beach since I was a little kid was more than my brain could handle. Seeing mountains in the distance for the first time, big bright cities all around with so many different kinds of people and all that. I flew into LA in July from my little town with less than 20,000 people and I couldn't believe how far the city stretched. I even straight up said to the people next to me how are you not freaking out over this, there's so many buildings!

I've been dropping weight like a mad man, was always simply the chubby funny dude in the room standing at 6'4" so I took it upon myself to start lifting and eating better in 2015 and now it's finally starting to pay off. Where flab use to be is now muscle so I'm pretty fucking stoked about that haha.

Business is doing okay, could be better but I'm setting myself up for bigger strides in 2017. I'm starting to expand myself creatively more too and that's way more fulfilling than your average job.

All in all I'd say 2016 was good, at least that the good outweighed the bad. I hope everyone here has a great 2017! Y'all deserve it.

 

[The Welsh Paddy]

Wow, so many people have had shitty 2016's. Mine was pretty shit, and good, and has given me a new sense of direction for this year onwards.

Major negative: 2016 saw the end of a nearly eight year long relationship I was in. To be completely honest, the relationship wasn't healthy for a really long time, so in some respects it's good that it's ended. But, having two kids has made things really awkward and my ex is trying really hard to prevent me from seeing them for no good reason other than the fact that she hates me now. I mean, I hate her as well. I put up with so much bullying from her and let her have so much control over my life it was unbelievable, but that kinda shit shouldn't have anything to do with the little ones. For whatever flaws I had as a partner, I have been an amazing dad and absolutely adore my kids. My ex stopping me from seeing them is one more reason on top of many that I hate her for, but I'm still willing to fucking set that aside and be civil. Ah well.

Positives: 2016 has been a big year for me in terms of personal growth and achievements. I finished my BTEC Level 3 Music Tech course with the highest grade possible. Running alongside that, I did various courses in Youth Work and between those and my college course, I succeeded in getting a place in Cardiff Met uni to study for a BA Honours Youth & Community Work degree. I literally started crying when I found out I got a place, because I'd just gotten so used to being let down in everything I tried to do and being unemployed for seven years had major impacts on my confidence, so that was a huge step for me.

To top that off as well though, I got a new job working with the YMCA. Started that the same day I started uni. It was only a three hour per week job, but it was my first paid job in a really really long time. The extra £30 per week has come in so handy though, and since the beginning of January, my hours have increased because I'm working at two of their youth clubs. Towards the end of December, I was nominated for the Local Heroes Award for all the volunteering I've done, and I got the runner's up award so I've got a nice trophy proudly displayed on my living room shelf.

In regards to not being in a relationship anymore, I feel like a huge burden has been taken off my shoulders. Other than the obvious issue of making sure I can see my kids, I've actually been able to take more time to concentrate on making myself happy. It's meant being able to make new friends, rebuild connections with old friends, seeing my family again... and generally just being able to indulge in my hobbies again. For the first time in friggin' years, I feel like I'm my own person again and it's a great but also unsettling feeling that has brought up a lot of anxiety and depression. It's weird.

 

[Meekal]

2016 ... The hardest, but the best and most important year of my life so far.

Started off with splitting up with long term girlfriend of 11 years...
Entered into a new relationship
Struggled to cope with money for the first half of the year but knuckled down and getting there.
Got a new flat
Got a new car
Had my 30th Birthday and was taken to Barcelona to celebrate
and finished the year off with getting a new job.

Feel so much happier than I was 13 months ago!