December 1, 2013 - Written by: Lauren Williams

2013 – It’s Been One Hell of a Ride

I went out for dinner with a very old and very good friend of mine on Friday night, and we somehow ended up talking about what we were doing this time last year. And my word, how things have changed! I don’t think I’ve ever gone through a 12 months of such emotional turmoil, of such epic personal achievements or such incredible highs. It’s been one hell of a ride!

So seeing as it’s the first of December, Christmas is upon us, and I couldn’t be as far from feeling like I was this time last year. So here’s a little low-down of this year.

This time last year I was on risk of redundancy, having to move back in with my parents, in a relationship that I couldn’t see was awful and being tested constantly for cervical cancer – quite frankly, I was an emotional wreck who drank every night and rocked up to work with a hangover. I mean, when you’ve got nothing to lose…

I got through Christmas with the boyfriend and his horrendous family and then went and got drunk with my besties on Boxing Day and bitched about the whole ordeal.

February rolled around and the scumbag and I broke up because he was well, a scumbag. I felt sick to the core and was so mad at myself for believing his relentless lies – I couldn’t eat, couldn’t really function and was a nightmare to spend time with. Breakup number one of 2013.

I got on a plane to Morocco for a week of sun, culture and shopping with one of my favourite people and all was suddenly well with the world.

Training started for Kilimanjaro, so I was out enjoying the great outdoors every day, I moved back out of my parents house, I didn’t lose my job and the NHS confirmed that I was fit and healthy.

Decided it would be a good idea to start a relationship with a good friend – that ended, badly. Apparently my last relationship had created a zero tolerance for even the tiniest amount of bullshit. Breakup number two of 2013.

Had a summer of partying and laughing and being ridiculous. Drinking rum all night and late night bonfires on the beach. Festivals, gigs, coast walks and camping. In jokes and clearing pubs with our hysterical laughing, unbelievable stories of drunken nights and drinking tea in St Ives on Saturday afternoons. Best friends, new friends, old friends who hadn’t been in my life for too long. It was a summer of awesome, incredible times, one for the year book. One of those that you look back on fondly in your late 70s and think “ah, the summer of 2013 – it didn’t get much better than that“.

Met a boy, thought it was good – introduced him to my friends.

Got on a plane and flew to Tanzania to conquer Kilimanjaro and any preconceptions I had of myself of not being strong enough to do whatever the hell it is I want to do. Met a boy on the mountain, felt bad about boy back home so had to break that off. Breakup number three of 2013.

Got home from Tanzania a new person with a new view of the world, a group of friends that I’ll never forget and stories I’ll never get bored of telling. I was high on life, achievement and all that glorious Vitamin D from the African sun. My attitude to the world had dramatically changed and nothing was going to knock me back and return me to that state of being bitter and jaded.

Lots more partying and laughing and seeing people I couldn’t imagine life without. More coast walks, cups of tea and pieces of cake.

Went on plenty of dates with Mountain Man. Thought it was it. That then ended too. Turns out Karma’s a bitch. Breakup number four of 2013.

Partied more, drank more, ended up with more stories that you really can’t make up. Laughed a hell of a lot more.

Booked flights to the next adventure in Norway in January with a friend I miss dreadfully.

Met another boy. Went for a drink thing…

It’s not over yet, but 2013 – you’ve tried your utmost to defeat me, but you’ve only made me stronger. It just goes to show that good times and the laughter and those fantastic friends will always outweigh the shit-storms that insist on raining on your parade every now and then.

2014 – bring it!

So how has the last 12 months treated you?