Yet, as I've realized within the space of three hundred and sixty five days - unless using a calender is beneath your Jimmy Choo-clad feet, I mean a year - that one not only changes in appearance, but within oneself as a person, and the truth about getting a year wiser really brings everything home to me on a grander scale. As I've discussed on past occasions, losing two of the most valued pals in my life - furry feline brothers Tom and Jerry - within six months of each other last year literally knocked me off my feet in shock as I've fought a struggling battle against containing my emotions, but time brought an ease to my grief and I slowly, yet not entirely, let go of my sadness relating to saying goodbye to the friends who were there when I became a part of the world and grew up into the young woman I am now.
Although there still remains a certain stigma towards those who declare a love more fierce for their pets than for human counterparts, I'm proud of expressing my relentless admiration for animals because they continue to offer the companionship which we naturally seek, and spending time with my two six month old kittens, Bart and Benny, releases a sense of pride which only purely felt love can touch upon. But the past year hasn't just been based around letting go of what I'd known for the first fourteen years of my life and opening my heart to two new cherished members of my family, quite a few lessons - both as easy as passing a French exam with flying colours (I'm not joking when I declare my ability to translate a page of French) and more difficult than what I had ever experienced - have been learnt off heart which, without a doubt, have broadened my outlook on life itself and what it ought to represent to every one of us.
Despite not being blessed with the ability to skip back twelve months or so to lead my life as a fourteen year old, I roughly remember having one foot stuck in the path leading towards childhood and another teetering towards adulthood, feeling more uncertain and insecure than what I'd ever imagined as a youngster. As marketing makes more of an effort to appeal to teenagers through high school based novels, first love films and MTV-inspired music - due to being classified as independent in making our choices and a few years free of university fee-related worries, companies are desperate I'm still at a loss as to whether anybody understands teenagers on a whole.
Teenagers may often be depicted on screen and are somewhat of an inspiration for the world in which we live today - if that wasn't the case, would The Twilight Saga have ever stood a chance of breaking box office records? - yet no hard-hitting novels or angst-fuelled songs by grunge legends Nirvana can truly put an adolescent's up-in-the-air feelings into words. Even I, a self-professed lover of the Collins dictionary, faced a hard struggle whilst rummaging through the adjectives section because nothing described what I could latch my hands upon and feel a part of - call it a moody blues stage or whatever, but my ever-expanding mind was undergoing the biggest changes of its lifetime, and I was being cornered into a smaller-than-the-litter-tray room where I had run along with the times or be left behind. Growing up at that time only represented one thing: difficulties.
Whether getting to grips with my first-ever wave of grief propelled me to leap into action or I eventually grew sick of contorting my lips in a semi-permanent frown, I somehow pulled myself out of the slumber in which I felt torn apart from the world and set upon the path which I'm still following, taking one step at a time. In certain ways, I was indeed awake - my eyes were wide-open, if you question it - yet still half-asleep or whatever, but there came a time when I threw my fist-balled angst down the drain and breathed a taste of unpolluted, cleansing air. Some things, such as being ready to bang my head against the solid wall at a moment's notice, need to be released, and the opportunity to clear myself of mood-associated issues arrived at the right time. For that, I owe plenty towards Tom and Jerry, whom I hope are having a ball (or knocking back the pints of double cream with an eager relish) in the land of Kitty Heaven, as they left a very valuable lesson in their wake: don't hold onto what is no longer necessary. From bitter-flavoured anger to years-old leaflets from a nearby shopping centre, I cleanse myself bit by bit whenever I get rid of something which no longer represents a value in my life, and it could partly be owed to my packing boxes of late - as I've found, it's a lesson which keeps on giving!
As a teenager who likes to believe that I'm equally a smug-faced know-it-all like my spikey-haired animated muse, Lisa Simpson, I don't take it likely when I'm stood up by someone or something, especially as I'm quite firm in staying true to my beliefs and values. Yet recently a new gift has arrived on my doorstep and as each day passes by, its value continues to increase whilst lifting my spirits to an euphoric, if not platinum level: hope. Having mentioned the boring nature of packing boxes and placing my teddy bears in rather tight positions (don't worry, I won't exactly specify what), you can tell that I'm going to be moving soon and the date is set for Friday week in ten days' time; I couldn't possibly be more anxious about getting prepared in time for one of the most stressful, yet thrilling journeys of my life!
But before faith became an acquaintance of mine, it was fair to say that I was running out of it and had reached an all-time low because all my problems gave the impression of piling into one massive heap: I didn't know if I would be moving into the house of my dreams because certain circumstances played a vital role in securing the property, which led me to believe that I would be preparing for yet another round of disappointment on the one crazy roller coaster known as life. However, I was rather taken aback when it became clear that the house would indeed become ours - as I hadn't allowed myself to hope for it because I feared that I would be left disappointed, obtaining my dream-like home came as a massive shock and taught me that having faith can lead to happy situations.
Tomorrow, my family and I will be travelling over a hundred miles to sign the paperwork to officially become the proud new tenants of the property, and I'm literally buzzing with the excitement about the prospect of my new life on the verge of beginning shortly; within a couple of weeks, Little Brother (LB) and I will be returning to school after receiving a top quality education at home for the past seven years, and it means yet another change to my way of living. But, unlike being forced to live without a boiler during the November chill last year, this change is a welcome one, along with finally having my own en-suite!
My mum once told me that there is a seven year cycle in life and, bearing in mind that I have lived in the same property for almost seven days (I'm just a few days short of the full seven year term), I'm starting to believe that she is right. I'll only start singing from the same hymn sheet if it applies to my spotty skin, which developed its first blemish in the same year - perhaps some faith will offer the cure to my oil-rich issues!
Furthermore, I feel more confident and happier about myself as a fun-loving and smiling teenager than I did a year ago, having gone through both the best and worst experiences which life has to offer. No matter what, my heart will always pine for Tom and Jerry because they showered me with affection and furry cuddles, but in death they left me a priceless gift: the true meaning of love. Being a teenager, as you've probably heard one too many times, can often be deemed as a difficult stage within one's life, but now I'm appreciating my youth because it only lasts once - come on, there are so many times that I can obtain a grin-inducing thrill through (legally) purchasing 15-rated films at Asda! Moving into my new home next week has created more excitement than the buzzing atmosphere at a One Direction concert because it ticks another thing off my imaginary list: starting a new and oh-so-happy life.
It seems strange how so many things - such as tucking into my first and definitely not-the-last serving of KFC last week, writing my first novel and of course creating my own space (a.k.a blog) within the realms of the internet - can take place in just a single year, but that is way that life goes. I hope that I may get a rest from life's mighty lessons for a little while as my head is still spinning from the ones I've just learnt - but everything, I now know, will be alright.
Unless my brother gets BT Sports, that is.
Although there still remains a certain stigma towards those who declare a love more fierce for their pets than for human counterparts, I'm proud of expressing my relentless admiration for animals because they continue to offer the companionship which we naturally seek, and spending time with my two six month old kittens, Bart and Benny, releases a sense of pride which only purely felt love can touch upon. But the past year hasn't just been based around letting go of what I'd known for the first fourteen years of my life and opening my heart to two new cherished members of my family, quite a few lessons - both as easy as passing a French exam with flying colours (I'm not joking when I declare my ability to translate a page of French) and more difficult than what I had ever experienced - have been learnt off heart which, without a doubt, have broadened my outlook on life itself and what it ought to represent to every one of us.
Despite not being blessed with the ability to skip back twelve months or so to lead my life as a fourteen year old, I roughly remember having one foot stuck in the path leading towards childhood and another teetering towards adulthood, feeling more uncertain and insecure than what I'd ever imagined as a youngster. As marketing makes more of an effort to appeal to teenagers through high school based novels, first love films and MTV-inspired music - due to being classified as independent in making our choices and a few years free of university fee-related worries, companies are desperate I'm still at a loss as to whether anybody understands teenagers on a whole.
Teenagers may often be depicted on screen and are somewhat of an inspiration for the world in which we live today - if that wasn't the case, would The Twilight Saga have ever stood a chance of breaking box office records? - yet no hard-hitting novels or angst-fuelled songs by grunge legends Nirvana can truly put an adolescent's up-in-the-air feelings into words. Even I, a self-professed lover of the Collins dictionary, faced a hard struggle whilst rummaging through the adjectives section because nothing described what I could latch my hands upon and feel a part of - call it a moody blues stage or whatever, but my ever-expanding mind was undergoing the biggest changes of its lifetime, and I was being cornered into a smaller-than-the-litter-tray room where I had run along with the times or be left behind. Growing up at that time only represented one thing: difficulties.
Whether getting to grips with my first-ever wave of grief propelled me to leap into action or I eventually grew sick of contorting my lips in a semi-permanent frown, I somehow pulled myself out of the slumber in which I felt torn apart from the world and set upon the path which I'm still following, taking one step at a time. In certain ways, I was indeed awake - my eyes were wide-open, if you question it - yet still half-asleep or whatever, but there came a time when I threw my fist-balled angst down the drain and breathed a taste of unpolluted, cleansing air. Some things, such as being ready to bang my head against the solid wall at a moment's notice, need to be released, and the opportunity to clear myself of mood-associated issues arrived at the right time. For that, I owe plenty towards Tom and Jerry, whom I hope are having a ball (or knocking back the pints of double cream with an eager relish) in the land of Kitty Heaven, as they left a very valuable lesson in their wake: don't hold onto what is no longer necessary. From bitter-flavoured anger to years-old leaflets from a nearby shopping centre, I cleanse myself bit by bit whenever I get rid of something which no longer represents a value in my life, and it could partly be owed to my packing boxes of late - as I've found, it's a lesson which keeps on giving!
As a teenager who likes to believe that I'm equally a smug-faced know-it-all like my spikey-haired animated muse, Lisa Simpson, I don't take it likely when I'm stood up by someone or something, especially as I'm quite firm in staying true to my beliefs and values. Yet recently a new gift has arrived on my doorstep and as each day passes by, its value continues to increase whilst lifting my spirits to an euphoric, if not platinum level: hope. Having mentioned the boring nature of packing boxes and placing my teddy bears in rather tight positions (don't worry, I won't exactly specify what), you can tell that I'm going to be moving soon and the date is set for Friday week in ten days' time; I couldn't possibly be more anxious about getting prepared in time for one of the most stressful, yet thrilling journeys of my life!
But before faith became an acquaintance of mine, it was fair to say that I was running out of it and had reached an all-time low because all my problems gave the impression of piling into one massive heap: I didn't know if I would be moving into the house of my dreams because certain circumstances played a vital role in securing the property, which led me to believe that I would be preparing for yet another round of disappointment on the one crazy roller coaster known as life. However, I was rather taken aback when it became clear that the house would indeed become ours - as I hadn't allowed myself to hope for it because I feared that I would be left disappointed, obtaining my dream-like home came as a massive shock and taught me that having faith can lead to happy situations.
Tomorrow, my family and I will be travelling over a hundred miles to sign the paperwork to officially become the proud new tenants of the property, and I'm literally buzzing with the excitement about the prospect of my new life on the verge of beginning shortly; within a couple of weeks, Little Brother (LB) and I will be returning to school after receiving a top quality education at home for the past seven years, and it means yet another change to my way of living. But, unlike being forced to live without a boiler during the November chill last year, this change is a welcome one, along with finally having my own en-suite!
My mum once told me that there is a seven year cycle in life and, bearing in mind that I have lived in the same property for almost seven days (I'm just a few days short of the full seven year term), I'm starting to believe that she is right. I'll only start singing from the same hymn sheet if it applies to my spotty skin, which developed its first blemish in the same year - perhaps some faith will offer the cure to my oil-rich issues!
Furthermore, I feel more confident and happier about myself as a fun-loving and smiling teenager than I did a year ago, having gone through both the best and worst experiences which life has to offer. No matter what, my heart will always pine for Tom and Jerry because they showered me with affection and furry cuddles, but in death they left me a priceless gift: the true meaning of love. Being a teenager, as you've probably heard one too many times, can often be deemed as a difficult stage within one's life, but now I'm appreciating my youth because it only lasts once - come on, there are so many times that I can obtain a grin-inducing thrill through (legally) purchasing 15-rated films at Asda! Moving into my new home next week has created more excitement than the buzzing atmosphere at a One Direction concert because it ticks another thing off my imaginary list: starting a new and oh-so-happy life.
It seems strange how so many things - such as tucking into my first and definitely not-the-last serving of KFC last week, writing my first novel and of course creating my own space (a.k.a blog) within the realms of the internet - can take place in just a single year, but that is way that life goes. I hope that I may get a rest from life's mighty lessons for a little while as my head is still spinning from the ones I've just learnt - but everything, I now know, will be alright.
Unless my brother gets BT Sports, that is.
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