Farewell 2012

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In the days of auld lang syne...

I have now lived in Edinburgh for three whole months, or a whole quarter of a year; while I know that really isn't a very long stretch of time at all, I can't help but feel that the more I get to know this city, the more I love it in a way that I think only living in a city makes you feel.

In the three months I've been here, I've made some awesome friends, I've got a job, and I've got to know the locals. These things have made me feel connected and joined to Edinburgh in my own special way that I don't think I would have experienced if I had just been a 'long-staying visitor' - it's the difference between visiting and living, as it were.

It's been a time of enriching self-discovery, travel and learning how to cook foods a touch more exciting than instant noodles. It's been a fair bit of culture adaptation, not just to Scottish culture but also adapting to the cultures of everyone from around the world who I meet here.

I know this is cheesy, but people love new years because they represent new hope - the chance for us all to forget everything that we might have done wrong in the previous year.

That's not to say that we'll have a perfect year up ahead. Of course we'll run into trouble - there's no one year that's perfect, and every year we encounter fresh sets of problems - but the new year endows upon us renewed vigour to tackle those problems, to give us the vision and possibility of new beginnings.

I've had a fair number of new beginnings this year. Living in a different country, travelling on my own, travelling a lot, getting back to music composition, leaving home behind for a while. I've discovered that I absolutely love travel and I love seeing the world.

People have presented me with tremendous opportunities this year - there are a number of amazing things that I've only been able to do because of the goodwill and generosity of other people who have made them possible. For that, I'm grateful to these people and all their help.

I've learned how to be alright on my own, I've learned how to enjoy my own company and I'm a little bit closer to knowing what I want out of my life. I've figured out that to be anyone else's friend you first have to learn how to be your own best friend.

These are the things I've learned in 2012.

You may have learned something different, you may not even really have thought about what 2012 has given to you, or you may not even really care - you may think I'm being a soppy old grandmother waxing lyrical about life.

But wherever you stand and whatever you think, I'd like to wish you a great year up ahead anyway.

Happy new year, and may 2013 bring even greater blessings, joy and happiness.