We've reached the final stretch of 2016 - how unbelievable is this!!

There're many things to be thankful for personally, because this year I think has been the year where I felt most empowered and confident in myself. Honestly, this is largely the efforts of my boyfriend - who has been an unwavering support throughout the year and believes in me wholeheartedly, which helped me a lot in becoming the person I wish to become.

2016 was also my final year of university, my final year of studying, which is pretty significant since we've all been studying all our lives and for it to come to a close is really quite surreal. Since I also study overseas, it was my final year of living abroad after 5 years and leaving my somewhat established life in Perth behind to return to Singapore is something I'll need to get use to as well.

I've also become more independent this year - I experienced my first time flying alone and being in a foreign country without my parents. I visited Ben in Seoul this year on my own when he was doing his exchange there and I explored different places by myself when he was having classes. This is a huge step forward for me, being a timid and dependent person most times. It really gave me a huge confidence boost and showed me that I am able to do things on my own. Ben and I also travelled in Seoul and Perth on our own this year. They are hands down my best trips ever.

This year I've also had to part with my cat, rosy. I wasn't able to bring her back to sg with me and throughout the year I had such a tough time searching for someone who would take her. At the end of it all, I managed to find someone who wanted to have her and I'm so glad I found a good new family for her. Having to deal with giving your pet to someone else is really difficult; I miss her a lot and I wish she would've been able to come back to singapore with us. But I guess this is the reality of life and sometimes we've got to let go and do what's best for our pets.

Ultimately, I think 2016 has been a great year. It's the first time in a long time where I can say I truly am happy and I've also accomplished many things I never thought I could. In the coming year, I hope to continue to develop myself and achieve greater things. It will be a year of discovery and overcoming challenges but I resolve to be strong and to stay grounded through it all.

Thanks for the amazing year 2016, 2017 I'm waiting for you with open arms.