2013. You were a great year!

2013 has been so good to me that I couldn't possibly end the year on a negative blog post.

I've achieved so much stuff! Being published in big-time online publications. Received a writing mentorship and started a book proposal. Took up and actually enjoyed exercise. Worked with two great causes - Donate Life and Love Your Sister. Lectured at a university. A (temporary) new day job. Traveled interstate three times for blog events. Met some wonderful people. Curated the Ichthyosis Awareness Month blog project and publishing stories appearance diversity here. Made the media. Booked another overseas trip. Won three writing and blogging awards. Found love. Life's good.

One of the biggest lessons I've learnt in 2013 is to take a chance on someone. I had high expectations - probably quite hypocritical of me really - and these expectations could have meant I let someone wonderful slip by. But I took that chance and couldn't be happier.

I have really tried to focus on my writing this year, to create a somewhat cohesively themed blog. I've written a lot about visible difference, and I've really enjoyed it. I love exploring different perspectives and learning more about the issue. Sometimes I worry that I am too ranty, always on a soapbox. But then I remember that my blog is only a facet of my life and most of the time I'm not this opinionated. The absolute best thing about blogging this year has been the people I've met - both in person and online. Someone telling me I've helped them face their demons of not being able to cope with their visible difference is an amazing thing. And it's been lovely to be recognised in the blogging community too - thanks Kidspot and Bupa for my awards, and to news editors for taking on my blog posts for wider publication.

 

My favourite posts of the year are:

Love Your Sister: an interview with Samuel Johnson

Donate life: the most loving thing you can do for a stranger

Tips for having a conversation with a person with a disability

Gotye parody wins best film at organ donation film festival

Ichthyosis Awareness Month

Preparing kids for meeting people with visible differences

We're not here for your entertainment: on Embarrassing Bodies

On not being meek and mild

From patient to parent

Walking alongside someone with a visible difference

A letter to little me

Scary face at Halloween

On 'normal', cures and disability pride

Disability has meant finding my tribe

This is love

I have no resolutions for 2014. I don't know what 2014 will bring - the only certainty is that I fly overseas on 29 March for six weeks. But if the year is anything like 2012 and 2013, it will be a great year because I will create it that way.

Happy new year to you! I hope you have a great night celebrating. And thank you again for reading here, for your friendship and support. It means so much.

What's in store for you? Have you got any resolutions?