Since we're fast approaching the end of 2013, I wanted to spend some time to reflect on the year I've had.
As with any other year, 2013 was filled with ups and downs, highs and lows...but above all, I will remember it
as a year of growth. There were some painful moments; but if there's anything that I've learnt,
it's that time will wash away the pain, if you let it.
Moving to Melbourne has changed me immensely. I have never felt more stable, or more sure of who I am in my life, and I have become more independent. While I am incredibly proud that I can now do household chores, and I am independent in that respect, I'm referring to a more emotional kind of independence. Moving abroad has forced me to become more emotionally independent, simply because I have no one that I can depend on. I learnt not to invest too much in people emotionally, because it can open you up to disappointment. And while it has made me a little more guarded, I would not consider myself a "guarded" person... I find myself more balanced now, that despite my natural inclination to open up to people, I am armed with careful sensibilities about who I open up to.
I learnt to compartmentalise my thoughts, and put my feelings aside to focus on the present -
happiness is, truly, but a choice, and I choose to embrace it.
Looking back, I feel rather sombre thinking about how different my life is this Christmas. However, it is a happy kind of change, and 2013 threw me the best kind of struggles. I have grown so much as a person; and it is precisely because I know what I was like then and what I'm like now, that I can say I am exactly where I need to be in life right now.
I am so thankful for the most supportive and encouraging parents I could ask for, the most brilliant friends who never fail to amaze me with their wit and insight, and for my endlessly tolerant and loving younger brother.
I am so blessed to have you all in my life.
Merry Christmas, everyone! x
Follow me on Instagram: @paintingrachelred for more updates.
As with any other year, 2013 was filled with ups and downs, highs and lows...but above all, I will remember it
as a year of growth. There were some painful moments; but if there's anything that I've learnt,
it's that time will wash away the pain, if you let it.
Moving to Melbourne has changed me immensely. I have never felt more stable, or more sure of who I am in my life, and I have become more independent. While I am incredibly proud that I can now do household chores, and I am independent in that respect, I'm referring to a more emotional kind of independence. Moving abroad has forced me to become more emotionally independent, simply because I have no one that I can depend on. I learnt not to invest too much in people emotionally, because it can open you up to disappointment. And while it has made me a little more guarded, I would not consider myself a "guarded" person... I find myself more balanced now, that despite my natural inclination to open up to people, I am armed with careful sensibilities about who I open up to.
I learnt to compartmentalise my thoughts, and put my feelings aside to focus on the present -
happiness is, truly, but a choice, and I choose to embrace it.
Looking back, I feel rather sombre thinking about how different my life is this Christmas. However, it is a happy kind of change, and 2013 threw me the best kind of struggles. I have grown so much as a person; and it is precisely because I know what I was like then and what I'm like now, that I can say I am exactly where I need to be in life right now.
I am so thankful for the most supportive and encouraging parents I could ask for, the most brilliant friends who never fail to amaze me with their wit and insight, and for my endlessly tolerant and loving younger brother.
I am so blessed to have you all in my life.
Merry Christmas, everyone! x
Follow me on Instagram: @paintingrachelred for more updates.