I hope this letter finds you healthy and in good festive spirits.
It is now December 12th at 7.59am and I have just posted the International Christmas cards to my friends abroad that trust me enough to give me their addresses.
Apparently there is also a western tradition to include with the sending out of Christmas cards a letter that briefly covers all the things that have happened or been important in my life in the last 12 months.
I have never done this before, but I feel that in email form, it might be a great time to start my own yearly highlights letter.
Of course far too much has happened to put in full details, but I feel it would be nice to at least give mention to a few things.
So here are a few of the things that I remember about 2006. It has not been the best year for me, but I have tried to remain positive throughout.
Two of my international pen pals got married to their respective partners and six more have announced news that either they are soon to get married or have become pregnant. Sadly also three friends have split apart from their previous partner.
Following my employers being taken over through a corporate buyout, the rules and conditions of my job have changed and it has become a job I no longer enjoy working for and eagerly am trying to leave.
I turned 30 in April and to celebrate I held a large part and invited all my family and friends I knew. I was very happy that all my close family travelled down to attend.
It also showed me how rare true friends are, as despite being given months notice some still did not know where it was, while others did not even attempt to attend, saying that they could not make it without even trying to see if they could.
The other cruel lesson I learned about friends, money or myself, is the old saying "Neither a borrower nor a lender be". I have always tried to help out others wherever I can and if this means lending them money then I would willingly give them as much as I could in order to help them out.
Sadly every time that I have done this I have been badly let down by the person who I lent the money to, and this has placed me in a lot of financial debt and worry. The simple truth is that unless you are a large company with the ability to take people to court and blacklist their credit rating, most people will make no real effort to repay a loan given to them.
This is true for both men or women, near or far, old friends or new. If people do not have the money to buy something large then lending them the money is normally folly as it is also unlikely that they will have enough spare money to repay you what they borrowed.
The other half of the lesson is that I am far too soft emotionally, and need to toughen up, as half the problem is my own in offering the money in the first place. Although it pains me to do so, I have now firmly had to decide that no matter the person or the situation I will not place myself in financial debt again to help out another.
I managed to find a new lodger to come and say in my spare room, however things did not work out as planned and she left shortly after having a disagreement with her old boyfriend. However the timing was good as it gave my old friend Leigh a chance to move back as my lodger once again, after he became ill and had to give up his job til he recovers.
My mum and sister completed their garden conservatories which they have both been looking anticipating.
My friend David has had another book published and this was the first one that I actually went out and bought as soon as I saw it in the shops. Unfortunately due to a printing error the publishers did not include an acknowledgements section and so I have not managed to see my name in print again.
I managed to visit my 20th country ( including all the major parts of the United Kingdom ) and fell in love with a woman from the Dominican Republic.
Sadly her Visa to visit the UK and stay with me in December was denied for some very minor faults and although it has prevented us from spending time together this Christmas, we will try again in April for my birthday.
Other countries I managed to visit this year were Northern Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, Norway and Sweden. On my travels I met lots of wonderful people and experienced much that each country had to offer, however they were all done on my own.
Despite arranging to meet people in a few of them I have also learned that it is best to plan your holiday on our own and around yourself and not rely on meeting up with anyone. This at first seems selfish but in the end it is just a prudent course of action and will prevent you being stranded in a foreign city or country with no idea of what to do or where to stay.
Well that just about covers the big points for 2006. It had many small points both good and bad that sort of evened out in the end, sadly most of the big points this year were negative.
However I am keeping my head held high and am looking forward to a bright and challenging 2007, where I can move on and take the second step on the road to my creative dream of becoming a travel writer.
The Christmas tree in my front room smells wonderful and all the festive lights and decorations are up in my house, as I prepare to celebrate another year in my house. It also reminds me that my current house, where I have lived for the last 5 1/2 years is also the longest that I have ever lived at the same address.
It took me 25 years, but I finally think that I have laid down some thick roots and so until I am ready for my next big jump, most probably abroad, I am content to remain here for the next few years as well.
Take care and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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