Well hello there 2012. I think I am sufficiently recovered from jetlag to face you now. Btw I’m hoping 2012 hasn’t any crap to throw at me – 2011 was pretty damn rubbish year; from break-ups to arguments to failing to run a 10k to health problems I was very glad to see the back of it.
Although honestly whilst there wasn’t much to like in the whole year there were some bright sparks to warmly look back on and before I start planning out 2012 (what can I say, I am a planner after all) I decided to get all fuzzy eyed and rose tinted and have a look backwards.
Hope you don’t mind. It is the most depressing day of the year after all. I for one need cheering up. Here are the small but perfectly formed higlights of 2011.
- I passed my masters degree. I now have a MSc in Climate Change. Yippee. I am starting a new job on Monday (same place, different work) mainly because of this.
- I met Kasia and Cock_knobs (at the worst possible time, thanks girls) and reinforced my friendships with Miss Wolfi, Pollypoptart and Ohthedecadence. I wish my friends could be in the same place more though – need to make some plans.
- I took time out from the really personal blogging stuff to have a spring clean, not just of this blog but my whole life. I honestly feel much lighter, much fresher and much happier. This blog may not be as exciting, but then it reflects my life and I am happy about that. I reached 500 posts and wrote this post looking back. I also started a facebook page for this little blog. You can like me here.
- I started writing for the 48 hour adventure travel site, writing posts on Edinburgh and Dubrovnik. Hopefully there will be more to come in 2012.
- I started cooking and writing Food Fridays. I love my slow cooker and I’m really excited about discovering new recipes this year. I also ate out at Kyloe, Koyama, Montpelliers, The Apartment, and Two fat Ladies at the Buttery to name just a few.
- I went to Rockness and rediscovered a love of the festival experience, despite the rain and cold.
- I had an amazing time in Sydney, Melbourne and Dubai. More photo posts to come – for this I apologise!
- I also had a great summer exploring – visiting Hipping Hall, Prestonfield House Hotel, the Botanics, St Andrews, Manchester, Cheshire, Blackford Hill, Seacliff, and Tyninghame.
- We have come pretty far with the house refurbishment, the living room has been painted in our absence, we have a new sofa arriving and a new sideboard, the pictures are ready to go up. I will post some piccies (although it is rather hard photographing a basement flat!)
- and finally I gave up smoking for 3 months. Even though I went back to it, I know I can do it now. I am working up the willpower to try again very soon. That is once the duty free cigs are finished!
So on to 2012.
This is the year of: the Stone Roses at Heaton Park of a trip to Greece, starting a new job, planning a wedding, a house, maybe a baby. There is a lot to come and for once I am starting out the year positive.
Miss S x
So tell me – what was your best memory of 2011 and what are you looking forward to in 2012?
Life has got in the way of blogging this week, but I thought i’d just pop in to leave you with this.
This is the Mother attempting to take a photo. I look a little like an extra in Harry Potter! No?
…btw I’ve graduated. Whoop!!! All growed up!
Miss S Ma(Hons) MSc MRTPI xx
Whilst I loved my last theme, it seems a lot of you didn’t.
Shame.
As I am a vain blogger (who isn’t?) and I missed you all (where did everyone go btw? It’s not just your chat i’m missing) I’ve gone back to my roots with a plain and simple theme until I decide what to do next. So pop out of your readers and let me know if you like it?
No, I am never satisfied.
Miss S x
We’ve all seen the holiday horror show where a family have saved up thousands of pounds to go on a dream holiday only for their apartment / villa / chalet in the Alps not to exist? For the website to suddenly go off line? For the contact to stop?
We all think its not going to happen to us right? Well, it does and it can – more regularly than you might think. Especially somewhere like Edinburgh, especially during the festival when thousands of tourists are looking for a good deal on a flat for a week.
You might think you are using reputable sites, that the listing on a festival website is genuine. It might not be – It’s easy to register a web site domain, to set yourself up as a landlord, advertise flats on various sites, have the money transferred over and then poof! disappear.
The stream of people banging down my front door right now looking for the person who has scammed them out of hundreds of pounds doing just that attests to just how easy it is.
I’m sad that I can’t do anything to help the people who have already been scammed, I’m not sure exactly how many there are in this case. The ones who are turning up at my door are the ones savvy enough to have found out who owns the web address they booked through.
If you have found this post because you have been scammed out of money for your Edinburgh flat rental during the Edinburgh festival, please report the scam to Lothian and Borders Police, the scammer doesn’t live where the addresses are registered i’m afraid – strangely for someone living in a capital city I actually know all my neighbours!
As for me, this has served as a warning, i’m an avid independent traveller who has booked apartments in Palma, Dubrovnik, Paris, the South of France, Australia, Tokyo and many other places and luckily i’ve never been scammed.
I guess this is a warning to all of us, sadly it shows just how easy it is to get ripped off in this world.
Miss S