That New Year Post...

I know that every blogger does a new years post of some sort, but I like doing them as a personal reflection on 2015 and things to look forward to in 2016.

2015 has without a doubt been one of the most adventurous and life changing years.

I am definitely not the same person I was this time last year. I feel that I have done a lot of growing up.

My perspectives on life have also changed a lot.

Throughout the year, I have discovered who I really am and have become so much more independent. I let go of fear preventing me from taking chances, and ventured to America practically on my own for 3 months to live and work there.

Along the way I have met some incredible people, and also learnt that sometimes it is better to have a small amount of close people around you rather than a huge amount of friends who don't really know or care about you.

As deep as it sounds, I really have felt like my eyes have been opened and I am seeing life for what it really is.
Of course I am still young and still have many more lessons to learn, but this year has been a real turning point in my life.

I look forward to 2016 where big changes will happen.

For starters, I will graduate university hopefully, and embark on my career path in London.
I also plan to travel more, hopefully around the west coast of America. I realised that family has become a big importance in my life, and I hope to spend more time with them.

Around this time last year I wrote a post of my new years resolutions. Looking back on it, I have actually managed to achieve most of the points on there. These include:

- Travelling: I have been lucky enough to see Barcelona, New York, Savannah, Hilton Head Island, Charleston, Florida, Liverpool, Birmingham, Disneyland Paris and various places in the UK. Not too Bad!

- Seeing my favourite artists in concert: I definitely did go see One Direction's last tour for a while, and really enjoyed it!

- Become Healthier: Mentally I have become healthier, however I am still aiming to get there physically. I've learnt a lot about my body this year and had a bit of a health scare, so looking after my body next year is a priority.

- Grabbing more opportunties: I've definitely fulfilled this one. I have driven in the USA for the first time, flown to NYC by myself for the first time, managed to secure an internship for 2016, finally got a tattoo, accepted a job working at Disney in the summer and many other small things like trying different foods, that can really make a big difference.

- Regularly updating this blog: So there was a little pause during summer because I was so busy but overall, I've not done too bad.

- Learn a new language: Ok so I didn't manage this one, but to be fair I haven't had the time.

- Finally, Spend my hard earned money from last year: I definitely accomplished this one!

To summarise this post, my advice to anyone out there is take the motto 'life's too short' seriously and grab every opportunity you can.

This may not necessarily mean saying yes to everyone or thing because of this 'FOMO' thing. It's more about choosing which opportunities you are really gonna benefit from and most importantly, enjoy.

The only way we can learn who we truly are is if we gain life experiences that develop us as people. I think taking the time to evaluate what you want in life, rather than what other people want from you in life is something all of us can benefit from.

On that note, I wish you all a healthy and happy new year!

Review: One Direction at the O2 Arena

Hello Readers!

Today's post is to do with one of my favourite things to talk about in the world: One Direction!

Having supported them since they were on X Factor, and I'm not lying when I say this! I really did go to one of their very first gigs at the forum in Hertfordshire after the X Factor had ended. And I may have been to every tour they've ever had...

Anyway, I am not a crazy directioner, I promise! So on Monday I headed off to London to meet my little cousin and take her to see One Direction at the O2.

Since being at university, I haven't seen them or anyone live in a while, so it was nice to go back to that familiar feeling of excitement before seeing your favourite band live. Unfortunately we missed the support act so I have no idea how good they were.

Onto the review of their live show.

The tour was called 'On The Road Again' and was a collection of their greatest hits, plus tracks from their albums Midnight Memories and Four. These included Kiss You, What Makes You Beautiful, Drag Me Down, Story Of My Life, Little Things etc.

Usually pop concerts consist of 90 minutes of cheesy, danceable songs. I was pleasantly surprised that 1D were onstage for a full 2 hours, which is pretty good seeing as most of their audience members are of school age!

 It was a Monday and their fourth night at the O2 arena, so I wasn't expecting the same energy that they would have had from their weekend shows.

I was wrong, they performed with every ounce of energy to make sure everyone in that room got the same and best experience. This is a thing to be proud of, as it's so easy to give a poor performance because you are bored from the repetitive routine and completely knackered from performing 4 nights in a row. These tickets were certainly not cheap, so to come out of their getting my money's worth, and having had an incredible experience is a really nice feeling.

The atmosphere was amazing. It was hard not to sing and dance along to all the songs, even though I didn't know some of them.

I also felt that even though there were only four of them this time, you couldn't notice the difference from their previous tours. They united as a foursome extremely well.

After the concert had finished, I walked out feeling a little sad that this could be their last one for a while. It made me want to see them again straight away, and I guess all artists want their fans to feel this.

I feel like 1D should feel proud to have transformed into a very professional and talented band. There music hiatus will come gladly to them, as I do feel they need some time to recharge and regain their passion and excitement for their careers. All I can say to them if by chance they happen to read this, is good luck for whatever you choose to pursue in the future, and enjoy the moment while it lasts.

To my readers, if you want a fun and enjoyable night out where you can sing and dance your heart out, take someone to see One Direction!