My Favourite Moments In 2015

Andrea wrote a wonderful post about her favourite moments of 2015, and I liked the idea of reflecting on both the big events and the small moments. So, in no particular order, my moments of 2015 were...

- Being offered the job at Willoughby. Receiving that phone call made me realise just how much I wanted the job, and how much I needed a change. I feel very lucky to have been able to find a role that is just so perfect for me.

- Celebrating with lots of cocktails after Thomas submitted his PhD thesis. His viva is only a few weeks away, so fingers crossed there'll be more celebration then.

- Sitting in a pub in Walsingham, Norfolk, listening to a group of priests gossip about how their colleagues conduct Mass. It was like something out of Father Ted and very, very funny.

- Watching my brother and Stephanie getting married.

- Seeing Joanna Newsom live at the Albert Hall in Manchester, especially when she played Cosmia.

- Opening the email that told me I had permission to visit Canada.

- An impromptu Saturday bike ride and picnic with Thomas that turned into a long afternoon in the pub talking rubbish.

- Playing games with my niece; she's very into imaginative play, so I've variously been an incompetent police officer, a journalist, a teacher, a private investigator and a murder victim this year.

- Being upgraded to first class on our flight from Reykjavik to Toronto.

- Every moment of the time I had with family in Canada. Our family's a big one - my mum is one of five children and there are fifteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - and we live across three continents, so any chance to see my cousins, aunts and uncles is precious. But this reunion was our first chance to all be together (apart from a couple of cousins who couldn't make the trip) since 1991, so it was even more special.

- Being adopted by two local cats who proceeded to spend most of their summer hanging out with us.

- Getting the train down to London for an enormously fun Monday evening in the pub with friends. Tuesday morning was less fun.

- The wonderful speech that my Head of Department gave on my last day at school in December, followed by a rousing song he'd composed about me to the tune of Once In Royal David's City.

I mentioned in yesterday's review of 2015 that in many ways it was a tough year but looking back at these memories also reminds me of what an incredible time I've had, and I'm looking forward to more great moments in 2016.