2016

Hello! :)

The year is coming to an end, time to get sentimental. After moving from Spain back home and especially after I graduated - yes, that's right, I finished my undergrad!! - I didn't really find the time for my blog. That made me really sad, so I'm absolutely positive to restart it in 2017! I am so ready for the new year and everything I'm going to experience. I plan to upload a blog post every other week and I also have a monthly YouTube series in mind, so stay tuned. I am really optimistic 2017 is going to be a fantastic year! I will finish my postgrad and start to work full time, I am excited!!

I prepared two lists for you representing my year 2016. The first one is the reading list I already promised you one year ago!!!

January:

Los hombres que no amaban a las mujeres - Stieg Larsson (The girl with the dragon tattoo)

February:

Love you more ( A Detective D D Warren novel ) - Lisa Gardner

Catch me ( A Detective D D Warren novel ) - Lisa Gardner

March:

If I stay - Gayle Forman

Lovesong - Gayle Forman

Afterwards - Rosamund Lupton

April:

Post Mortem "Tränen aus Blut" - Mark Roderick

May: 

Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult

Like a charm - Karin Slaughter

June:

Frontera - Jordi Sierra i Fabra

A place called freedom - Ken Follett

July:

World without end - Ken Follert

August:

The Survivors Club - Lisa Gardner

September:

The Big Dipper - Kristín Marja Baldursdóttir

The Other Daughter - Lisa Gardner

October:

Summer at Little Lava: A Season at the Edge of the World - Charles Fergus

November:

The Soldier's Wife - Joanna Trollope

December:

Sensenmann - Claudia Puhlfürst

Did you read any of these? How did you find them? Are you wanting to read any of these and need me to go into detail for some in particular? Please tell me! And I already have such a high pile of books I want to read in 2017. I don't think the pile is ever going to get smaller. It is just growing and growing and growing... There are just too many good reads out there. I'm definitely planning to give Anna Karenina another go and I also have a few audio books I want to listen to. What's your opinion on audio books? Can you recommend any?

Here is a short overview of what I did and accomplished and experienced throughout the year:

January:

I was living in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain at the time, doing my semester abroad in International Tourism Management.

February:

I finished my stay in Spain and came back home to Cologne, Germany, to continue my studies.

March:

I had my final exams and successfully finished my last semester at university, with only my Bachelor Thesis / dissertation ahead of me.

April:

I turned 22.

May:

I wrote my Bachelor Thesis about the German perception of England as a destination with the research question "To what extent does the German perception of England reduce it to London, stereotypes and prejudices?".

June:

My godson got baptised.

July:

I spent my summer at home figuring out what to do next, and where.

August:

I graduated.

September:

I flew to Spain to watch my friend getting married.

October:

I moved to Essex, England to do my Master in Translation and Literature.

November:

I met many amazing new people, became part of the Writing Society, LGBT&friends and the Catholic Community, started a Russian course and played a lot of Badminton and Squash.

December:

I spent my Christmas holidays back home with my family.

It was a very eventful year and I am really happy. I am in a good place to move on and start the next year, pursuing my goals.

What are your plans for 2017?

I wish you all a happy new year and a good fresh start!

Lots of love

Jen