January
January saw me begin my second placement of the year at Chester Zoo with the Rhino Team after returning from a trip to Brussels and London for the New Year. The placement was exhausting but invaluable. I learnt that I do not want to shovel rhino poo for a living (who would have guessed) but it did confirmed that I want to work with charities helping to save endangered species just with a little more of a hands off approach. Interested in what I got up to working in a zoo? Have a read here.
April
After finishing my placement at the end of March, April saw me come to probably one of the lowest points of my life. I was lacking in self esteem and could stand the sight of myself in the mirror because the idea of feeling sexy meant things could lead to intimacy which I couldn't have. This naturally was so hard for my boyfriend, he deserved a medal for standing by me through it. Everything finally came to a head when I had my operation where they found that I did have Endometriosis and although I suspect that it has already started to come back, I have a far more positive out look on the disease than before. Read about my experience with the disease that effects 1 in 10 women here.
June & July
June and July saw lots of trips. I got to visit my best friend in Brighton, have a catch up here, my friends in London along with my boyfriend, who came down to London for the weekend. July also saw the end of my placement which you can read about here if you wish.
The biggest event of July took place right at the end where my relationship with my boyfriend sadly broke down. I needed time to think us through because for me, we were in a place where I could see no way to get to the future that we had talked about. Walking away from the person who you love with all your heart has to be the hardest thing I have ever had to do but I do not regret it. I realised that I did want to be him a few months later and although he made the decision that he didn't want to be with me, without the relationship ending I would have never realised how I felt, instead I would of just got more upset, frustrated and resentful to us. We still speak now and I'm so glad that I have been able to share the most important moments of my life with him over the past five years. Sometimes you need the unexpected to happen to really appreciate everything that you had and still have. Long distance relationships are always going to be hard but at least now, even if I've learnt the hard way, I understand what is needed to make them work.
August
August saw the craziest month of my life, if you followed my journey of instagram (@erinkaywilliams) you will have seen some of the stuff I got up to in South Africa with my best friend. Travelling was exactly what I needed at the time and I can not thank everyone I met along the way for making it such an incredible trip!
South Africa is such a beautiful country, I would urge anyone who has the opportunity to go to grab it with both hands!
September
I don't know about you but I turned 22! I had my birthday on a University field course in South Africa. On the game drive I got to see wild Cheetahs which was a first for me! I only just managed to hold back the tears (they have been my favourite animals since I was 7).
The staff sang me happy birthday in multiple languages and made me an amazing cake and the evening was spent under the stars around a camp fire. Simple but exceptionally magical! I also returned to university which was a shock to the system to say the least!
I was offered a place on Leeds RAG Fashion Show Committee and have had the pleasure of helping organising two hugely successful fundraisers as well as being given the opportunity to meet some incredible students that put my time management to shame (that's a bold statement).
I also joined a new society, Lacrosse, which is great fun, even if I do mainly participate socially which is where I also met my new boyfriend who is exceptionally good at cheering me up and has prevented a fair few meltdowns at university as well as putting up with my rules of just seeing how things go without the labels to his frustration and my amusement.
December
Since coming back to uni I have given myself a fair amount of time away from the blogging scene. As much as I love blogging, my degree is just so hands on that I haven't been able to give it the time that it really deserves which is so frustrating!! This month, after finishing uni for Christmas, Mum and me rushed off for a quick trip to Prague which was just heavenly.
Since coming home I've then had the pleasure of spending time with my best friends and catching up with my family over the holiday. I'm super stressed about the amount of work I have to complete in the next 3 weeks but I'm certainly ending the year on a high.
My emotions have certainly had a roller coaster ride and if you had sat me down this time last year and told me everything that would happen I would never of believed you. I hope this new year will offer me just as many incredible moments with wonderful people as I have had this year, 2016 certainly does have a lot to live up to. I guess only time will tell!!
Love
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