2017 a year in review
For me 2017 was a good year (Globally it wasn’t). I cannot say that it was a happy year but nor can I say it was a sad year for me. I have always had trouble with my mental health but this year it feels like I managed to keep things under control. I think this is longest period I have gone (since I was a teenager at least) without feeling depressed. I don’t know what I have done to bring about this change. I no longer seem to swing from feeling ecstatic to being on the verge of a panic attack or worse feeling nothing at all. My only hope is that I can keep it up in 2018 and beyond.
There weren’t any major events in 2017 that I can look back on and say were the highlights of my year. I had a series of small victories that aggregated as a whole to make the year good for me.
In the first few weeks of the year I received an unexpected bonus that I was able to use to clear off my student debts (two years ahead of schedule). For the first time in years I am debt free and I have begun to save for a home deposit. I’m still a few years off my target but I am hopeful I will be able to call somewhere ‘home’ someday. This is a big departure to how I felt during college, when the thoughts of settling down in one place used to grate against me. I used to love the idea of having the freedom to move to a new home but after renting in Dublin for three years my opinion has changed. I haven’t had any bad landlords in my time renting but I have heard horror stories that make me apprehensive to stay renting in Ireland.
The biggest change in my life happened in September when I switched jobs after two years working for a company in the insurance industry. I liked my old job and I loved the people I worked with but during the summer I realised that I had gotten into a rut. I didn’t quite enjoy my job as much as I used to and the daily commute finally got the better of me. Now I’m working in one of the top companies in Ireland and I’m able to walk to work in 20 minutes. The work is different and much more exciting than working with insurance software. In my first week I was also sent to Boston for training and then I attended the company’s annual conference where I was able to see Michelle Obama and Roxane Gay speak. This was an absolutely amazing experience and it made me fall in love with Boston. Also the extra time I get back from commuting and the freedom I get from not depending on an unreliable bus has made me feel less stressed and more in control of my life. I miss the people from my old job but I think the change has made me feel happier.
Last year I had hoped to compete in “Hell and Back”. I continued my running routine in 2017 but I didn’t get around to doing “Hell and Back”. I did however manage to start running 10k regularly and I ran my first 5k race in December (I came 40th out of about 500). I’m hoping to keep this up next year by running in more 5k races and maybe even a 10k.
I’m not sure if it counts as a victory or not but I gave up alcohol during the summer. This was something I had been considering for a while but never committed fully. I started getting up at the crack of dawn to go running and I felt that alcohol wasn’t worth it when I got far more enjoyment from running. I also noticed that when I drank (even one glass) I would have a low mood for days afterwards. In the end I decided alcohol wasn’t worth it. Since giving it up I have felt much healthier and happier.
Now we are on the verge of a new year, what are my hopes for the next 365 days?
My biggest hope is that the government will keep it’s promise to hold a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment. For the past 4 years I have participated in the ‘March for Choice’ (I flew back from Boston at 4am to make it to this years march) and I hope that when I march again next year it will have a celebratory atmosphere.
I’m also hopeful that I will manage to keep my life on track and stay positive. I have had a good year but I need to make sure I don’t regress next year. I guess we will find out this time next year.
