I have a very mixed feelings about 2016. So many things have happened to me and I can’t believe it all happened only in a year! I know that it may be too early to write this post, but I just can’t wait any longer!

So… what happened to me in 2016?

2016 was the year where I fell in love so deeply. I never thought that I was capable of loving somebody that much! Even if it appeared that I was wrong about it, I still had some great times to remember. Some cute moments that brought smiles to my lips, and a good story to tell even after it all passed and I left it all behind. I moved on not because I wanted to, but only because I had to.

2016 was also a year where I finally felt like I found my dream job. No, I didn’t get any new job; still same company, pretty much the same role, it’s just that I was trusted to do the works that I always wanted for myself. Not an easy one, pretty challenging I would say, bur I definitely love it! I also had a couple of chances to travel around Asia for some business trips plus some vacations over weekend!

I also had some wonderful trips with families and friends in 2016. Umraj trip with my parents (plus a short trip to Turkey afterward), Singapore plus Thailand trip with my teammates (it was definitely trip that I’ll never forget),  Hongkong-Macau with my families (I had a lovely time with my nephew!), and a solo trip to Guilin, China. Which one was the best trip of the year? The Umraj trip, of course. I would never forget how it felt when the tears came to my eyes right when I thanked God for all the blessings I had in my entire life. Somehow to me, it felt like I was coming home.

In 2016, I learned a lot on how to become a better person. A person that I always wanted. The forgiving one. Stay composed and calm even in the hard times (I’m not there yet but I’m making a good progress I think). Less cranky. More patient. And the most important, I leaned a lot more on how to stay happy even when many things in life were going rough. Life would never ever be perfect, but I don’t need to have a perfect life just to have a happy life.

Also in 2016, I managed to reunite with some old friends and it has really made my life a better place to live. Too busy at works should never be a reason for us to be  emotionally apart from each other. We’re not always side by side every single day, but we know that we’ll always be there for each other, even in the middle of the night! The way I see it, that’s the beauty of an having an old friend in life 🙂

What is the highlight of my year? It was my birthday party! It was not perfect, but it was everything I always wanted ever since I was a teenager. My big families were there, my best friends, my colleagues (from all four companies!), everyone in the same room, and what can be better than that? As usual, my little nephew has really made my party even merrier than it could be. Bravo, little kid!

The only nightmare happened to me in 2016 was my struggle to be able to genuinely let go of the things that I should let go. I lost some people that really mattered to me, that really broke my heart, but at the end I realized that it was not me, it was just the way this life worked. People come and go, and it only makes me even more appreciate the ones who choose to stay with me. They don’t have to stay with me with all my flaws, but they do. Somehow, they do.

I’m not quite sure yet if I could tell that 2016 was the best year of my life, but surely it was one of the best years I’ve ever had in life. And the life lessons I earned during the year would always be one thing that I hold onto.

2016… is that all or you still have some surprises you keep? Bring it on!