"holy shit, what that a year ago?"

There's nothing like having a birthday to freak you the fuck out about how fast life actually goes on.

365 days ago, I was freshly 18, swashbuckling down the streets of Mudgee with a beer, a parasol in my ear lobe, one of those flower necklaces and impaired vision, standard really.

But more than that I was just out of school, with about $20 to my name and a head full of ambition and dreams, all of which were actually tangible.

Those dreams I still hold mind you, but, after the year I've had, they're certainly not staring me in the face asking to be cracked upon with a nutcracker, and sucked like a mango seed, anymore.

You see, it really actually has been a very big year for me, so cut me some slack.

In the gap between turning 18 and turning 19; I've lived in 2 different states in Australia, 3 towns/cities, 4 houses, I've had 5 different jobs and around 7 housemates.

I suppose thats why it feels like only last week, I was standing at a cocktail bar in mudgee, hawiiaan flower necklace around my neck, getting my friend Dan to ram a parasol into my ear lobe, because I couldn't get the last bit through by myself.

It's possibly one of the more overused sayings I can think of, but in this application theres alot of truth in it, and its the older than time itself mantra that states time flies when your having fun - and when I think back to all the jobs I've had, all the places I've been people I've met, fuck I've loved 2009.

In all honesty, I couldn't have written this year better if I tried. Nothing spectacular happened, I've been largely broke all year, I haven't been particularly lucky in any respects - but I've met alot of people who've influenced me and I do think I've grown massively as a person throughout the course.

So I feel like thanking some people for that, simply a list here to people who I've encountered this year, or known for a while, that have basically contributed to the smile I have right now, thats because of the year I've had, which is because of you.

Zoe Statheos, Hugh Lyons, Tamara Lee McLeod, Caitlin Cowper, Soreback, Alicia Goodwin, Nick Bryant, Romy Blore, Sarah Ross, definately not Mel Weston, that dude with long hair at tafe, Graham Bliss, Robert White, Joel Wilkins, Lauren Cooke, Hayden Jeffereys, Callum Fairleigh, Elizabeth Yates, Tobias Hill (even if he is a dirty backpacker who owes me money),Bon Szyfer, Tim hart, Russ, Bonna, Mr Disorder, Hookie, Sam Bryant, Roshan Kumar, Kes harrison, Kalki whatever it is -

I could go on, because truthfully I'd like to acknowledge every single person I've met in the past 365 days, including/even/especially all the fuckwits, and believe me there have been a few of them. Because its the fuckwits that make the amazing people I know, truely amazing. Without the fuckwits, everyone would be average.

Don't you agree?
x