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Ciao Bellas,

It’s been a while- I took a break from writing over the Christmas holidays because I only had 2 weeks in the UK to catch up with family and friends- that was my main focus. Also late December/early January is always a busy time for me…Christmas, New Year, my birthday on January 2nd…by January 3rd I’m completely wiped out! Although I’m not complaining; it was great to see people and I got to do some amazing things which are extra special in the UK, such as going to the ballet at the Royal Opera House, going ice skating at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, spending time with my family’s puppy and eating roast dinner! But here we are, it’s January 7th, I’m back in Rome and the sunshine is out and now I can get back into a routine which should feel rejuvenating.

I do feel a tad guilty writing this whilst Australia is burning down, the tension of America and Iran is looming and there are more serious things to worry about…but if we don’t work on self-development then we can’t contribute our best selves to the world. The world deserves your best self and thinking about what 2020 has in store for you…it’s valid, insightful and productive.

Now, I originally didn’t have any resolutions because 2019 was actually my best year yet and I was a little sad to say goodbye. 2017 and 2018 were more difficult years for me (think psycho housemates and getting my heart broken) so from the get go, when 2019 began and I turned 21, I was ready to make it my best year yet.

In 2019:

1. I promised myself to meet and hang out with interesting, kind, caring people (no more meanies). One way I did this was I did voluntary work- kind people love to help others- it’s a fact of life- so being in that type of environment made me feel good.
2. I promised to do the best that I could in my degree and then I achieved a 2:1 honours in English Literature and learnt a lot along the way. I even had a class on ghosts and hauntings?! I was learning and writing about subjects that fascinated me- my intellect was fed with stories I had never heard before.
3. I promised myself I would save money from my weekend waitress job so I could go travelling in the summer- to other parts of the UK, Montenegro and Canada with friends- trips that are imprinted movies in my memory. I SAW WHALES IN THE WILD!
4. I promised myself I would learn how to camp in the wilderness and cook on an open fire. In Canada our meals were on an open fire most nights and I slept like a wild fairy in a teepee.
5. I promised myself I would make some money doing tarot card readings and although not many, it was a bit of extra pocket money and I was helping people seek mystical reassurance too.
6. I promised myself I would do something daring- so I got a tattoo. (Sorry Dad)!
7. I promised to help one of my best friends plan her wedding in ONE WEEK and loved being her Maid of Honour on one of the most special days I’ve ever experienced.
8. I promised myself I would start writing the novel I had regular daydreams about, even if it never gets published. I’m 30,000 words in.
9. I promised myself I would move to a European city for a year and have a room with a balcony for me to stand, chill and lean on the railings.
10. In September I moved to Rome didn’t I and my room has a spacious balcony. Along the way in 2019 I learnt who my truest friends are, I scrap-booked so I could keep memories through photographs, postcards and tickets. I didn’t fall in love but I certainly fell in love with travelling, learning about other cultures and how to stand up for myself- voicing my morals, dreams and opinions.

So, as you can see from that long list, 2019 was enchanting. I’m surprised I had time to sleep! A lot was achieved and I’m content with the person I blossomed into- a young woman who is more daring, more brave and has more stories to tell.

For 2020, my 22nd year on this strange rotating Earth, I hope to stay this way and apply all that I learnt in 2019 to the rest of my life. That’s why it’s a new year and a newish me. Nevertheless, I have some goals which I hope to achieve (even if they run on into 2021) here they are:

1. Aim to get a Graduate Scheme Job in Hotel Management for Autumn 2020.
2. Also begin freelance work for Lifestyle magazines/blogs. Write 1 blog post (at least) on Georgia’s Journal per week.
3. Have clearer skin.
4. See more of Italy because I’m living here until June. Also see more of Europe before Brexit complicates things.
5. Trust that someone kind, caring and handsome will date me this year.
6. Read 2 books a month. 1 book can be for the English Rome Book Club I’m a part of.
7. Meditate/do yoga in the mornings to release tension- particularly the stress I keep in my shoulders.
8. In the latter part of 2020 if my finances suffice it- I hope to buy a car I can whizz around in and rent a small studio apartment that I can decorate in ice blues, dusty pinks and mocha greys in a location near my work. 🙂

Can you tell I’m a Capricorn? We are the most ambitious/career focused of the zodiac!

Some of these goals seem a little unmanageable right now but if somebody told me all the things I achieved in 2019, whilst I was still figuring things out in 2017/2018 I would have rolled my eyes, laughed and gone- “absolutely no way will I do any of that!”

We only get one life, cliche I know, but age, location, grades and relationship status should not limit us from creating a life we are proud of. Remember do things to meet your levels of happiness, nobody else’s as long as you’re not harming anyone.

All my love,

Georgia x