I can safely say this year has been fantastic. In 2013, I completed my first year of university, signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for AICR, got accepted to Study Abroad at the University of Victoria, started playing violin, read 50 books, and most importantly, founded The Travelling Quill. 

While I've had to battle through essays and lab reports to pick up my camera, I feel like I can quite confidently state (and I hope you'll agree!) that my photography skills have improved over this year. I've got a better understanding not only of how my SLR works technically but also of how best to frame a photo and what to do in terms of lighting. Photography is still so much due to chance and feels far more about being in the right place at the right time to me. National Geographic put it nicely in their 125th Issue: "A photograph is never taken - it is always given."

It is customary to make New Year's Resolutions and one of mine is to start a new memory jar for 2014, just like the one I had for 2013. It's incredible how many good times I forgot in just under a year and I had so much fun reading back over them when I was up in Sunderland visiting family. What was also nice was that I could share some with my family and we were able to recall the memories together.

I've got a ludicrous amount of travel planned for 2014 (the current count, including layovers, is now nine different countries other than the UK) and I can't wait to see what else this year has to bring. May your health be good, your heart happy and your travel adventurous!