It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Maybe it wasn’t that epic but 2008 was certainly a mixed bag. Never before in 365 days have I made so many friends and lost so many friends, slept on so many sofas and travelled so far across the world.

I went from a house that I described as a “former office block, decked out in the style of a homely crack den, [that] boasts a large lounge reminiscent of the mob fallen on hard times.” to a house with a shoe rack and a fully functional upstairs bathroom.

I left behind the familiar faces that hated me and met complete strangers that actually turned out to like me.  I went from having a loan to having a serious debt, I went from failing a degree to needing a job, I went all the way from England to China and back again.

This is a summary of what seems to have been a very long year and a tribute to all the people that helped me through it (if I’ve missed you out let me know, my memory is somewhat hazy).

Clara – you were there throughout it all and you are the only person I can turn to in Stoke for a proper conversation.

Charity - for always being at the end of the phone.  For understanding my sense of humour and world view.

Katie – for always making me smile and knowing how to party.

Frosty – for tolerating me for so long, inviting me to China and always being there when I needed a drink.

Damian, Sarah and Simon – same again to all of you, thanks for making my six weeks in Asia so special.

Totem Film crew – for making me feel so welcome in every way.

Guy – for tolerating my rants and steak addiction.

Harry’s Bar (bar staff, door staff, DJs, cloakroom crew, regulars) – providing a safe haven from all the craziness.  Drinking may not be the answer but it’s a hell of a temporary solution.

The Students’ Union (Andrea, Bishop, Jason, Ken, Lisa, Luke, Naomi, Sibert, Tim) – GK seems like it was a long time ago but you all put in a lot of effort to make it run more smoothly.

Nick, Ben, Lewis, Damian – for letting me sleep in your houses for ridiculously extended periods of time.

Antonio - for still talking to me after all these years.

Reg – for telling it to me straight and giving me benefits advice.

Gingell & Baines – for taking me in off the street.

I’m off to my Gran’s for Christmas.  Until I return and normal blogging resumes, don’t break anything.