Each year I like to end my final blog post with a little recap of the past 12 months.
With our media filled with so much doom and gloom, it’s easy to forget all the little things we have achieved throughout the year. And as you know, I always like to use my platform to keep things positive, despite it being another tough year for many.
But before we jump into that, here is a selfie I took with my roast dinner on Christmas day… you’re welcome.
Jokes aside, I just want to give a special shoutout to all of the keyworkers who have kept us going again this year, and to all of my friends who have been shielding. The battle is not over yet, but we’re still here and that definitely counts for something!
Now let’s have a little recap and see what 2021 had to offer…
January 2021
If you’re anything like me, then not a lot happens in January because you’ll be feeling like an absolute whale post-christmas, and the weather is usually shite which never helps with anybody’s mood.
However, this year was my sisters 30th birthday and I really enjoyed putting together a little ‘throwback box’ of goodies from the 90’s.
She also got the keys to her very first home, which turned into quite a big DIY project. So of course I was on hand to help smash up anything I could!
February 2021
In February I had my very first dose of the COVID vaccine, which felt like a real step in the right direction. Who would have thought that 12 months later we’d still be fighting a new variant, and now be 3 jabs in?!
But hey, I am grateful for the NHS and will happily take 100 jabs if it means my friends and family are kept safe.
March 2021
In March I hit the headlines after a BBC news article featured a story about me missing hugs. Yep you read that right haha, I bloody love a hug!
The feedback from this article was really positive and I was truly amazed by the amount of support and lovely comments I received from strangers all across the UK. My faith in humanity was restored! (but only for a short time, obvs)
I also featured in two LADbible campaigns for this years Census, which was a real honour.
April 2021
In April I applied to be a contestant on Channel 4’s “The Circle”. I’ve loved this show for years and for the first time I actually felt like I had a good chance of making the cast.
Whilst I was unable to share details at the time, I actually had several interviews and did a full-on powerpoint presentation for the producers. Sadly a few days later the channel announced they weren’t renewing the show for another series, and all efforts were lost which was a real shame.
Hopefully one day I can fulfil that reality TV dream!
May 2021
In May I joined CHAOS TV as a co-presenter on their radio show, which is still one of my proudest achievements to date. Every week I continue to grow in confidence and I feel like I’m taking all the right steps towards my future goal of working within the media.
June 2021
Talking of media, I also started an online Journalism course – which I absolutely loved. It’s been a lot of hard work and commitment, but so far I have passed all of my modules and I aim to hopefully be finished with the qualification in the next few months.
The G7 summit also came to Cornwall in June and I enjoyed co-hosting a special episode in the CHAOS TV gardens.
July 2021
In July I got well into supporting England throughout the Euros, which is not something you’d hear me say often. I’ve never been a massive football fan, but I really enjoyed watching all of the games this summer.
I also went for my first meal out at a restaurant for my birthday. Which again, was a big deal for me considering I’d been locked away for so long. We may have only sat outside, but it felt so good to be a foodie in public again!
August 2021
In August I was invited to be a guest on ‘The Muscle Help Foundation: In Conversation With…’ series. This was a real honour for me as previous guests had been real high achievers!
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of meeting Michael (albeit virtually) and can honestly say it was one of the most fun and entertaining interviews I’ve ever been involved with.
In August I also made my first ever ‘adult’ trip to IKEA!! As you can see I went a little wild in the plant section… and I also discovered their meatballs which was a real personal highlight of the year.
September 2021
In September, my collaboration with National Highways and AccessAble went live online. I was really proud of my involvement with this campaign, and thoroughly enjoyed filming at Exeter services a few weeks prior.
October 2021
October can only really be remembered for one thing, and that’s Halloween! For some reason this year I decided to put my head INSIDE the pumpkin… don’t ask.
I also ventured out to the cinema for what felt like the first time in forever, to watch the new James Bond film.
November 2021
In November I was even more social, as I completed my Mentor training with Active8, hosted the SMA Podcast and met up with several friends who I hadn’t seen for a while.
Whilst I do choose to share certain aspects of my life online, there are also times where I like to stay under the radar. November was a month full of personal ups and downs for me, hence why my blog also took a little hiatus.
However, I did enjoy some great food! So here is a cheeky pic of my breakfast (on a shovel!) at the Cornwall Gold Pantry.
December 2021
IT’S CHRIIIIIIIISTMASSSS! Whilst I’ve not been feeling super festive this year, I still love the season and everything it involves (aka pigs in blankets, aka ME)
December was a busy month for me. As well as enjoying a couple of meals out with friends, I also co-hosted the final CHAOS TV of the year from home – which involved decorating a gingerbread house, opening secret santa gifts and playing a christmas quiz.
I was also invited to the Hall For Cornwall to see their Christmas show – Cinderella. The newly refurbished theatre looked incredible and I’m so excited to share more on that soon in a future blog post.
I would just like to end this post by saying a massive thank you to YOU, for reading and supporting my blog this year.
I may not have had as many adventures as I would have liked, but it’s still been a year full of new opportunities, memories and of course some laughs along the way!
As we begin to enter uncertain times again, I hope you all stay safe and have a lovely New Year.
Take care,
Ross x