It's A New Dawn, It's A New Day, It's A New Year.

The 2009-recollection-blog had to come at some point...so here it is.

So here we are. Does anyone else actually believe it's the end of 2009 already? Has this year zoomed past (not necessarily a bad thing) for everyone else as well? Personally, for me, it feels like it has now, but, to be perfectly honest I think we all say that. Things always feel like they go really fast when you look back at them - but at the time they feel like they've been trudging along - perhaps the majority of 2009 was like this. Again, this isn't a bad thing, I'm not meaning it's went past slowly at snail pace because it's been so shite, it's been an amazing year - I dunno what I'm getting at here, I hope you all understand me...

To be honest, it only actually hit me that I left school around about (don't quote me on this) six months ago? I'm not sure if that's right, it might've been seven. But (and I don't think I was the only one who felt this) it was such an anti-climax! There really wasn't much to end or mark the six years we all spent there, that was really significant. Well, there was prom, I guess, but even then...but anyway, blasting of LHS aside, it kinda struck me that, since those months, I think I've changed just a wee bit. I'm not very good at the whole 'self-discovery/trying to change' thing, but I think, and this is probably because of the onset of university, I feel like I've become a little more self-assured. I hear the sniggers, I don't care, it kinda feels like it. Of course, that might be the only thing that's changed, I'm still that immature chubby wee boy who ran about with his schoolbag on his front whilst eating a cheese sandwich at heart (I bet all of you who didn't know me then wish you did now!).

Starting University was absolutely awesome as well - in doing so I came out've my shell just that wee bit more, and I met loads've new folk and made a load of new friends - it's where I met my absolutely braw girlfriend Kim as well (shout out much? hehe), so it's clear that Stirling Uni was a good move. That was definitely a highlight of this year, getting that big uni acceptance letter. Love it.

Of course, and there had to be some music tie in eventually, my music tastes have expanded way more this year. All these new people and all my old friends and my own curiosity are probably to blame for that, and I thank them all, I love my music now. And I'm actually making myself a promise ('cause this has happened too much in the past now) that I'm not letting anyone dictate that. If you don't like a band I like, tough - I won't change it. I won't rub it in your face either, but don't really expect me to change it.

There's been some crap times as well, obviously, but I feel like they've been helpful somewhat. I'm a big believer of 'everything happens for a reason', and so, whatever's happened this year, good or bad, it has led me to where I am now, which is in a very happy place. That doesn't change the fact that those times were bad, I'm not saying that, but we all learn from our mistakes and, inevitably, we stop doing them and end up in happy places. Like now!

Also, and I feel as if he deserves this, big shoutout to my dad and all his family as well - this Christmas was awesome, I had tons of fun with them, from papa's newspaper all the way to Roddy's master chef expertise. And to my dad, cheers for putting up with me staying with you, I am very very very grateful.

And to all my friends, new and old - I like where we are now. I'll admit, I don't speak to a lot of you as much as I should, which is rubbish, and it's probably my fault anyway and it'd be nice to change that - but I think this is a good starting point. So, thanks for all the braw times this year as well - the NB times, Firkins times, failed band starting times, watching Catchphrase times, sitting on benches at ridiculously early morning times, Group Tam times - everything. Lets see more of that in '10, eh? All of you, you're all braw, and I owe where I am now to a fair few of you - so danke, cheers, grazie, merci - I love you all.

Sure, this years had a massive share of ups and downs (who's hasn't?) and it's by no means been perfect, but I like to think it's been good for me - 2009 seems, on recollection, (and pardon the cheesy metaphor here) a runway. It's like, everything before's all been building up to this one point and after this, in 2010 everything takes off - it literally is a new year. From tomorrow - it's the future! I dunno if this is making any sense, I just have a feeling that next year is the start of something braw, the 'start of the rest of my life' to put a cheesy spin on it.

So, and this has dragged on a little - I applaud you if you've reached here - I leave you now, wishing you a very happy new year and many returns (what does that even mean?). Hope you have all enjoyed this rather stretched out insight to my year.

Mark, out.
xxx

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Now playing: Dirty Vegas - Days Go By (Acoustic)
via FoxyTunes