New Years...looking back at 2012

We're like almost a week into 2013 and I'm sitting here reminiscing 2012 =\

2012 was actually a really good year for me, I wrote a post a while back saying that I was quite anxious about all the changes that were to take place that year, alhamdulillah everything went well (with a lot of hard work, struggle and faith mind you). Right now I'm feeling so grateful about everything in my life so far. So what were my highlights of last year? Among them would be going for Umrah in April, going on holiday to Italy in the summer, one of the best Ramadhan's to date, finishing Uni, getting a job and everything in between alhamdulillah alhamdulillah alhamdulillah!

So 2013 and I feel like I've done a lot of growing up, learnt so much about life, about people, about the things are and how to deal with them. It's not always good, most of the things I have learnt the hard way, but everything happens for the best and the fact that I'm still alive means it's made me stronger.

Work is good I guess but who likes work anyway? Actually I lie, I like my job because I do feel like I'm doing something worthwhile and it's nice speaking to and meeting different people everyday, but the early starts are not so great and sometimes it just gets really stressful and it really tests my patience, inshaAllah it's a good thing and will improve my character and teach me sabr I hope. 4 months in and I feel more settled into the job, I mean it's pretty much the same thing as being a student radiographer without someone watching over you and you actually having more responsibility than before. At least I get treated like an adult now, it's funny how the way people treat you changes when your status in the work place changes. I have some ambitions with regards to my career but for the time being I just want to gain some experience and train in some specialities to learn as much as possible.

Just as soon as I settled into a routine and got used to all the changes that took place last year, my parents started the 'hunt' to find me husband =\ It's all very strange having to think about how life is going to change even more all over again, but again alhamdulillah we'll see what happens.

I have my graduation ceremony in a couple of weeks (like which dumb university has graduation 6 months after everyone has finished uni? My uni apparently), I'm looking forward to it for my parents more than anything, they're so proud to have been able to get me through uni and I kind of did it all for them, I reckon my dad has been looking forward to my graduation pretty much my whole life so I hope it goes well inshaAllah. I'm kind of freaking out though, I hate attention any sort of attention, I'm scared about having to go up on stage in front of so many people, I'm really worried about the whole shaking hands thing, our uni is pretty rubbish on updating us about what the plan is and how things are supposed to be. I mean if it's shaking hands with a female then its all well and good, but what if it's a male, how am I supposed to reject a hand shake on stage in front of so many people? It's hard enough when it's not so public.

I made resolution to think more positive this year inshaAllah & to improve my outlook on life and it's challenges I hope I stick to it iA. Apart from that, unlike this time last year, I don't have anything planned except for graduation so I will take each day as it comes and embrace all the moments Allah has planned for me. I'd love to go on holiday again but to somewhere like Thailand or Malaysia they seem like very interesting countries to explore, it's unlikely that I'll go, but hey a girl can dream (=

You're probably thinking why this post is related so much to my worldly life and why I haven't mentioned any deen related resolutions, the new year just like birthdays and other annual events are not such a big deal for me but just gives me a chance to reflect on the previous year and think about the year after. I usually make resolutions relating to my practise of Islam in Ramadhan and actually renew those resolutions, make new ones, try to improve everyday alhamdulillah hence not so much mention of all that here.

Anyway that was just an update on my life. I hope last year was a good year for you inshaAllah and I pray that this year has better things in store for you. May Allah bless you with the best in your every endeavour! Remember me in your du'as and I'll leave you with a random assortment of pictures of some of 2012's highlights (=

iHijabi x

My Year in Pictures