Goodbye 2015, welcome 2016.

I can’t really say this year has been the worst year ever – that was 2012, the year of death. First one of my cockatiels died, followed by my dog who I had to put down only a few days after. Summer took away both of my rabbits on separate occasions, and inbetween I even got a new bunny that had to be put to sleep as well. Gave away the remaining cockatiel to someone who could provide a better home for her, and so where there once was seven, only two remained by my side at the end of that year.

While 2015 hasn’t been anything compared to that, I’ve had my share of shit happening this year too. I was unemployed the whole year, I’ve struggled a lot with mental issues, I’ve fallen into maximum slacker mode with my life and too many people have been giving me hell over trying to do the right thing. The world has gone crazy with bigots and racists rampaging all over the place. But, it’s not all bad: got a new dog to fill that empty space in my heart, lots of great moments with fellow volunteers at IGDA Finland and Nörttitytöt, some weight lost and a huge chunk of debt eliminated.

So, what’s in store for 2016? First off, I got myself a Passion Planner to help me get my shit together and fix this miserable mess I call my life. I leafed through it and filled the first few pages and I have a good feeling about it. If you’re interested enough to get one for yourself, I’d appreciate a referral (kipinae at hotmail dot com) so I can earn an extra to gift someone else in need of structure in their life. In other news, I’m making a long-time dream of mine come true: I’ll be starting dance lessons in a couple of weeks. Originally I got excited about dancing when I saw a show on a cruise and I loved it. Went back the next year to see the same group’s new show too. I was about 12-15 years old then, and I’ve wanted to start dancing myself ever since. I’m only 15-18 years late with this but hey, better late than never, right?

I am pretty psyched about all the things I plan to do, and I feel like I have the determination and tools to make these changes happen. May the next year bring us all good fortune and happier times.