Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 17, and for once, it was a great birthday. My brother surprised me at work, and made me wear a crown all day. After work, my mum and I went into the city and had a lovely day out. Not wildly exciting, but that's what happens when your bir
thday falls in the middle of summer and every single one of your friends is out of the country.

Last year I did a post called 15 things I did when I was 15. It was a really fun post to write, and as you all seem to enjoy posts about me and what I'm up to, I figured this would fit well.

1. Went on a 7 hour hike - I live in Norway, and so the nature here is known for being particularly beautiful here. It truly is, but I don't think I realised until this hike! Sure it took us about 7 hours (it took one of the girls in our grade 11.5, we all thought they'd gotten lost) and it was exhausting, but the view made it all worth it.

2. Cut off my hair - I'm pretty sure I included this in last year's post too, but this year I took it way further! Last year I went from long tangly hair to shoulderlength, whereas this year I went from shoulderlength to basically a pixie. Although it went through about 6-months of awkward phases while gradually going shorter (and now another few while now growing it out) I really liked it short!

3. "Learned" to drive - Fine, this is an exaggeration. I can't drive at all, but I have driven on the road a few times, and I'm able to change gears and do basic driving stuff. I really don't enjoy it at all, but I try to do it relatively often.

4. Made a cookbook - Bit of a weird one here, but for a year-long school project, I made a vegetarian cookbook that focused on food photography. I got a top mark and I'm really proud of the end result! I don't want to risk anything by posting any of the photos here or linking you to it yet as my grades haven't been internationally approved, but as soon as they are I'll for sure share some of my favourite recipes!

5. Went white-water rafting - On the same trip as our long hike, we also went white-water rafting! I was terrified and didn't find it much fun during the first half if I'm honest, but as I got used to the speed, the cold and the falling-into-the-water part, it was pretty cool.


6. Saw Halsey live - I love concerts, I'm sure you've all realised from all the posts I do from them. The Halsey one was no different. I discovered her music this year too, and I'm genuinely inspired by how empowering and determined she is.




7. Took the train across the country - I'm used to travelling alone. The first time I flew overseas by myself was when I was seven, and visited my grandparents in England. This time, I took the train across the country to visit my brother for a weekend. It wasn't a big deal for me, but it was a really great weekend, and I so enjoyed the trainride.

8. Found a group of close friends - So cheesy, but this year I've really found a bunch of people who I get along with so well, and who make me very happy. I love them all a lot, and I don't feel like I've really had that before. People who appreciate me just as much as I appreciate them, and it's great.


9. Went to Venice - and LOVED it! It was amazing and so picturesque. I went with my mum, and as we rarely spend time together, it was such a lovely and needed trip!

10. Saw Adele Live - This night completely shifted my life. Incredible doesn't even begin to describe it. I know, I'm cliché, and I'm sorry, but everything about Adele that night just revolutionized the way I see the world.


11. Found my style - This year, I think  I might have found my style! As every teenager, I've gone through endless stages of fashion (some worse than others), but I've finally found the kind of style that I absolutely love. I'd love to do a 'fashion inspiration' post sometime soon, so let me know if you'd like that! Here's a sneakpeek:


12. Learned to deal with failure - Again, so cliché, but I had a really big downfall this autumn. Something I'd put all my effort into for years, and then didn't work out. I was devastated, but I've since realised that it was for the best. The alternative is better for me, and I'm sure will make me happier in the long run, although I didn't think it at the time.

13. There's nothing wrong with taking time to oneself - It took me a while to realise that I don't need to be part of everything, or at every party. I still definitely struggle with FOMO (a post about this will be up soon!), but it has gotten way better.

14. Left school - sort of. I still have to do our version of sixth form left, but I'm leaving the tiny town I live in for the 'big city' and a new school. I don't want to fill this with things I've said before, so you can read about that here.

15. Got my first proper job - and I look forward to it every day. I literally beg my boss for extra hours and always stay as long as I can because I just love it so much. Again, I already did a post about this, which you can read here!

16. Reached 150 followers! - My most recent accomplishment. It took me over a year to reach 100 followers, and now within 2 months, I've reached 150! I thought the goal of 150 before my birthday was very ambitious and unrealistic. I'm very proud, so thank you all so much. This is, again, so cliché, but I appreciate it all so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So there are the things I've done this year. It's been a great year in terms of almost everything, so thank you. For now, I'm going to go to bed and wake up 17!

There were so many blogposts linked in this post, because I like to blog about things that excite me. In case you'd like to have a peek at my year and what I've done, here's a masterlist of the posts I linked here:

15 things I did when I was 15
Norwegian nature // Photography
The time I (almost) met Halsey
Exploring Venice
The best night of my life // Seeing Adele live
'Me-Time'
What leaving school feels like
Weird things that happen at my job and why I love it

Relevant posts:
Where can I put my excitement?
My biggest fear