So, this is 27

A while back, someone asked me what I'd actually done in my twenties. And when you throw in flying to China to teach English on a whim, getting engaged (and er... then not getting married) and managing a rock band (really), it sounds like quite a lot. But I haven't done any of these things this year.

So what exactly have I been up to this year?

• Had my heart broken. One and a half times.
• Admitted failure and closed my first online project.
• And then realised I was onto something good with Domestic Sluttery and well, that's still kicking ass. It's one of the things I'm most proud of ever.
• Went to the ballet for the first time. And left halfway through to go to the pub instead.
• Got to grips with not being a size 8 anymore, and actually realised that I'm quite pretty even with a few extra pounds.
  
• Left a relationship that made me feel the best and worst I possibly could in equal measure. The hardest thing I've ever done.
• Said goodbye to lovely friends all living in different corners of the world now.
• Finished my book! That's the thing that I'm most proud of in the whole world.
• Went to Hay Festival for the first time. I'll be back every year now.
  
• Broke my foot. Ouch. Walked around on said foot for six months without plaster. Moaned about it. A lot.
  
• Went to see Faith No More in Berlin, just because I didn't get tickets to see them in Brixton. Amazing city.
  
• Ran a fab shopping event for the Domestic Sluttery - where I finally realised that the website was going to do well.
  
• Spoke at a serious blogging event. And people actually listened. Now I'm helping to run it.
  
• The fact that this was the same day Shiny Media went into administration was no mean feet.
• Stopped spending time with 'friends' who just sap my energy and give nothing in return. But made an effort to get to know some people I only knew a little bit, and well they're rather awesome.
  
• Domestic Sluttery started making money, despite some people being negative about it. I didn't back down and change the name, or listen to the negativity. I think we have a better website because of that.
• Which is why we signed up with Handpicked Media.
• And were able to take on more girls. Who all kick ass.
• I did lots of Come Dine With Me style dinners with Cate and Gemma and Charles. It was an awful lot of fun and I made new friends. I can also bake an awesome cheesecake.
• And then did the Nomnomnom online cookery contest despite having a broken foot and being sick. And we'll be back to win next year. Oooh yes.
• I started making my own jewellery. And people started buying it. Sometimes people I don't actually know. That's pretty awesome.
• I finally saw The Duke Spirit. They were worth the wait.
• I learnt to love karaoke.
• And how to make macarons.
• I danced until the sun came up. More than once.
  
• Finally got to see the Eiffel Tower. Yay!

It's weird seeing a whole year of your life mapped out in a list of bullet points, but it's always nice to see how much you've accomplished and how far you've come. Sometimes you can get so caught up in everyday things - "have I written this blog post, I need to RSVP that party, I'm late again" - that we don't sit and look at how good things really are.

There's a few things that I've left off this list. I'm not ready to talk about them yet. But a few people know what they are. More importantly, I realise how important they are and what I've achieved. Both personally and professionally. I'm so much happier than I was a year ago. Sure, I haven't been to half the countries I'd planned to, I'm probably only just in a place where I think I can handle being in an actual relationship again and I have very little money in the bank. But I'm happy.

I'm 27 today, and I'm ready to kick the ass of out the next year. But first, I'm going to open my presents.