2017 ended with me sipping a Furphy in my sun room alone. The only audible sounds were of Julia Jacklin's swaying guitar, and the only scent was of eucalyptus and acacia from incense burning in the living room.
I needed a slow evening to reflect and ruminate in solitude on the crazy year that has been and the year that lies ahead. Before I share those thoughts, let's talk about the blog.
I am really pleased with the blog and its achievements in 2017; I was overwhelmed with positive feedback from readers near and far and I improved my writing overall. I have some new ideas for next year, including food stories, neighbourhood explorations and self-care habits. Thank you for your ongoing support of the blog; you can subscribe here if you haven't yet already.
2017 was a year of personal tragedies. Tragedy crept into all aspects of my life: work, mental health, family, love, home, it was all too much. But it taught me to be comfortable with life not making sense and being out of my control, to accept sadness as a pedestrian part of life and to remember to be compassionate to myself when life gets low.
It became a mantra for me, a powerful mantra of resilience and vulnerability.
2017 was a year of adventures near and far.
I learned to love living south of the Yarra and found many local neighbourhood spots to wander to for a coffee or a chat with a shop owner. I attended many exhibitions and spent too much money attending music gigs.
I went away twelve times! Twelve. My particular favourites were the two days I spent in Grampians (part one and two) and Malmsbury, excluding my trip to Peru and Bolivia. These trips helped me reset and reminded me of what I find important in life.
My best friends got married, and it has been heartwarming being part of their adventures and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.
2017 was the year I learned who my family are, who they truly are, as people.
Perhaps it was tragedy which reminded me of the importance of appreciating the people who are there for you when it matters most. But I am grateful that we shared more moments in 2017 than for a very long time.
Life in your 20s is about learning how to stand firm on the ground during an earth-shattering earthquake.
2017 was a year of accepting that adulting isn't about to become any easier.
I thought there would be little transition as I settled into my second year of full-time work and first time living alone. But three jobs and a flooded apartment later, how wrong I was.
I learned that one of the few and most important things I do have control over in life is when to take time out for myself. Time out for yourself is a reminder to not take life for granted. To do things you love and take opportunities you dream of experiencing in your lifetime.
My trip to Peru and Bolivia was that. A trip by myself for myself. I came back feeling refreshed with a reinvigorated perspective.
2018 is the year I will learn how not to leave my keys at work or my wallet on a train.
It is the year I explore the possibilities of living outside of Melbourne.
It is the year I write more, photograph more, cook more and read more than ever before.
And it will be a year filled with gratitude, vulnerability, reverence, and love.
Happy New Year to you.
Thomas x
P.S A Thing from Me
One of my favourite things last year was talking to you, the reader, either through a comment below, an e-mail reply, social media or in a face-to-face human interaction.
Let's keep the conversation going in 2018! What was one good thing which happened in your life in 2017? What are your intentions for 2018?
Finally, if you haven't yet subscribed, you can do so here in two seconds. It just means that you'll receive an e-mail notification whenever I post something new here.
© 2026 Thomas Feng
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