2015 was a very big year indeed! There was a lot of change, plenty of exciting times, and lots of memorable moments!
It was really interesting and useful for me to read back
my blog review of 2014, including my thoughts and hopes for 2015. I'd forgotten how positively I'd started 2015, despite being (voluntarily) out of work. It's a funny thing that I haven't started 2016 so positively, despite having a job to go back to tomorrow! I made a lot of progression in 2014/15 towards a happier work/life balance and I feel this has slipped a bit towards the end of 2015. However it is a temporary situation so I am trying to make the best of it...but not doing as well as I'd like!
Anyway, 2015 did start positively - the hangover wasn't too bad after a lovely night with our Stow neighbours, and any cobwebs were well and truly blown away with a dip in the North Sea!
In early
January, I started going to a Zumba class! I have really enjoyed Zumba - such great fun, and a great way to meet people.
I also did a lot of walking in the first few months of 2015, and lost a bit of the weight I may have put on whilst sitting behind a desk in 2014. I did a wee bit of running throughout the year, but yet again decided it's not really my thing!
I enjoyed
completing the Loch Leven loop in January, and
exploring the Borders with my new camera.
By the time
February rolled around, I was walking a minimum of 3 miles a day. By the 18th of February I'd already walked 85 miles! I discovered a fantastic local walk from Melrose to Cauldshiels Loch and back to Melrose via Abbotsford. At 9 miles it was the perfect length, and after Dave had a change in his work life too, he joined me on the loop and this became our regular walk.
A stroll in the Pentlands and a trip to Pitlochry were great highlights, but going to
Prague for a few days at the end of the month was really special indeed!
March was upon us, bringing longer days and Six Nations rugby.
I joined brother Ross on his epic John Muir Way walk, and managed 22 miles with him on a very wet day indeed. By the end of March I had walked 328 miles in 2015, and although I kept counting throughout the rest of the year, I didn't even get close to this amount in the next 9 months.
Both Dave and I started new jobs in the Borders on the 1st of
April, and our walking efforts took a hit. Finding ourselves working weekends, we only occasionally managed a mid-week jaunt on our Cauldshiels circuit. I also started working for a brother too, a physical job that sure felt like an intense workout! Frequent periods of the summer brought 10 days of work in a row, and I was just too knackered to do much more. We had that great week of weather in April - we moved our sofa outside to enjoy it!
I enjoyed the new challenges of two part time jobs, one driving and outdoors, the other at beautiful Dryburgh Abbey, outdoors as often as possible but also meeting and chatting to new people (including Robert the Bruce's 20-times-great-granddaughter and such like!).
I found myself very appreciative of how much the Borders region has to offer. Excitement was building for the new train to finally arrive!
May brought with it some very exciting news - my brother Colin's engagement to his partner Emma - and the chance to celebrate a few weeks later with
a family trip to Cape Wrath. This was one of the highlight's of 2015 - great family time, but also great achievements such as big brother Andrew's first marathon in crazy conditions! The following few days were spent revisiting highlights from my walk on the East Highland Way, and enjoying a breath (or two) of fresh air in the Highlands and a change of scene.
June flew by with
a couple of shorter walks, a bit of dog-sitting, Zumba,
a trip to East Lothian, and lots of work. July wasn't much different - it was scary to think how fast the "summer" was going.
However,
July did bring one of the other very exciting moments of the year (although at the time it was just painful and uncomfortable!) -
laser eye surgery! Having been very short-sighted since primary school, it is amazing how quickly I got used to having my vision back. It has made life simpler and easier and I am so glad I decided to go for it!
 |
| Bye bye glasses!! |
The speed the summer was passing by was marked by the progression of the Borders Railway. It was remarkable to think that it was nearly ready to go! In an
August blog post,
I reflected on the changes in the area since we arrived in 2013.
August also brought the first and only wet-suit swim of the year, as
Dave, Gibson and I meandered our way down the Tweed from Cardrona to Innerleithan. Great fun! I also started PiYo, although unfortunately the class ended in December, but I might try to pick it up again in 2016 - hard but rewarding! August also brought the wedding of our friends Stevie and Emma, in Sprouston.
In
September Dave, myself and Dave's parents took
a wee trip to Royal Deeside and explored an area we didn't know very well. We visited lots of historical sites, and enjoyed the rich countryside. It was a lovely wee escape and change of scene after a busy summer.
Of course September brought the opening (or re-opening!) of the Borders Railway - super exciting to see trains along the route!
September also brought
my only Munro of 2015, which I was delighted to bag! It was a bit of an adventure, leaving Stow at 5.30am and starting the hill, Meall Chuaich, at 8am. It was absolutely fantastic though! I really enjoyed it, and to combine the trip with seeing my cousin Colin finish the Loch Ness marathon was an absolute bonus! The drive home was challenging, but the whole day had been fantastic.
October was
the best month of all. It began with some great weather, and a trip to East Lothian. Dave and I both had time off work so we made the most of the weather, then went on a wee trip to the north, visiting the Moray Coast and then over to Skye. We took a wee trip to Raasay and it was at the top of Dun Caan that Dave proposed! Most exciting moment of my year! We loved spending time with our friends Bill, Line and wee Harry, and we also greatly enjoyed all the post-engagement celebrations that seemed to last for weeks!
October ended with the 'Jeanathon', a wild and crazy celebration of mum's big birthday, which involved jumping in a freezing reservoir amongst other things! Great fun!
I started a new role within the company I joined in April, which is a temporary role in Edinburgh until the end of June. Although I am glad of work during the winter months, I have struggled with adjusting to commuting again (albeit it is much better on the train!) and I have found it quite tough so far. I cannot wait for longer lighter days again!!
November brought
a trip to Arran, which was great fun and nice to spend time with mum and dad, Robbie dog, Dave and Ross. We did a few walks, and also conquered Goat Fell - which was a tad snowy but enjoyable nonetheless!
When
December arrived, I realised I was so caught up in wedding planning (what fun!) that I was not feeling Christmassy at all. It took a few weeks - and a wee break from the planning - to feel a bit more in the festive spirit.
Christmas itself was really good, with lots of food and banter, family time, and a wee bit of fresh air.
I have felt very run down and tired in recent weeks, so even over the festive break I have not done much walking. Perhaps I should have hibernated this winter! It has been such a wet winter, with crazy flooding (thankfully not too bad in Stow) and tough to get out and about.
Hogmanay was a brilliant night again spent with neighbours, and also our friends from Skye who came to join us. The Stow bonfire and fireworks went ahead, and at the bells I felt positive and hopeful about the year ahead.
There is a lot to look forward to - I have a big birthday coming up in April, my brother's wedding in August and my own wedding in October! A lot of exciting, happy, moments. A lot of change, but good change!
It's unfortunate therefore that I haven't felt so positive recently, however I need to work on getting more fresh air and more walking - I think ultimately this will help me feel better in myself and therefore more happy and positive. Surviving winter in Scotland does seem like a bit of an ordeal at times, but we're on the finishing stretch now...right?!
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2016!
