see you later noughties
As this working year slides frighteningly fast toward the end, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this year has meant for me – as I’m sure we all have. But it’s not just the end of another 12 months – it’s also the end of a pretty crazy decade.
This year has been one of massive change for me. I welcomed my daughter into the world on February 23rd and since then I’ve faced the challenges, and delights of motherhood.
It’s been my year of Breakfast TV. Before, back in the day when i worked full time – or even when I was freelancing – I would get out of bed at 5.30am to make my 6am running group classes. Every day without fail. I was so regimented about this routine that nothing would sway it. I would shower at the gym and then head to the office.
But this year I got to watch Paul Henry in all his glory. He’s so conservative and such a snob, but I do love watching him. I like seeing him take on politicians – he doesn’t miss a beat. I love watching him catch the giggles over ‘itchy bottoms’ or something like that. He can be such a child. He can be such a prat. But he’s still so watchable.
But thanks to Breakfast TV, I watched every major news story unfold – the Bain retrial, the Samoa Tsunami, Michael Jackson’s death – these are just the first that spring to mind. When before, I barely had time to read a newspaper each day, at least through my daily dose of tv i got to keep up with what was happening in the world.
On one level my world was very insular as I cared for my child, but on another level my world had opened up and I was a lot more aware of what was happening out there.
I’ve only been to the gym twice since she was born. I’ve swapped pounding the streets and bootcamp for yoga, gyrtonics and peddling on the bike that we rented then finally bought. Most days I peddle at a reasonable speed, but some days I just read my book and before I know it an hour has gone by. Perhaps if we’d hired a treadmill it might have different!
But most significantly I finally got to see a project I’d been stewing on for a long time come to fruition. In June Beauty Goss launched, my daughter was just four months old and I’d been working on this site since I was four months pregnant. So it had been a long time coming and I was desperate to see it go live. Back then, when she slept so much more during the day, it was fairly easy to balance the two. As she gets more active and busier I’m readjusting and considering how to grow Beauty Goss and how to also spend quality time with her.
When I think over the past decade I can’t believe how much we managed to cram into 10 years! Terrorist attacks, war, the global recession, climate change, the rise and fall of luxury, the IT bag, reality tv shows, celebrity status for those with no talents, the onslaught of cosmeceutical skincare, ghds, bloggers, ipods, iphones, facebook, twitter. . . so many things that I just take for granted in my daily existence are actually very new things. And things will keep changing, yet I dare say there is a return to the simple life. There will be those who decide it’s not worth chasing the material objects and retreat to the country. They’ll breathe fresh air, eat home grown food and rather than miss out on the city folk they’ll still get to watch the show ponies through their tv and computer screens.
I’m looking forward to next year. This year has been hard on many levels but rewarding too. Next year will be magnificent.
How has your year been? What have you been reflecting on and what do you hope for next year?
Tamsin xo
