My 2014!

2014 has been an exciting year with its challenges thrown in.  Life isn't perfect so ups and downs should be expected.

The highlights must be:

• Establishing myself as a theatre reviewer.  I'm now reviewing for The Public Reviews (Yorkshire and North East Region) and for a number of regional theatres.

 Of Mice and Men at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2014

• Completing and passing my CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).  It certainly was the hardest thing I've done which makes the achievement sweeter!

CELTA trainees, tutors and I in November 2014

• Winning the Colleague of the Year Award at work.  It was unexpected and certainly a lovely surprise; I've got invited to the Corporate Awards Ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall which was a nice experience.  I work with great colleagues and Public Health is interesting as the work remit addresses and sought solutions for a wide range of health and social issues.

Winning Colleague of the Year Award at Work in

September 2014

• Being at the Commonwealth Games in person at Glasgow and enjoying the netball preliminaries during my birthday week.  This is the second Games (First one was in Manchester 2002) I've attended in person and I was happy to have experienced the incredible atmosphere which added to the fond memories.

 The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July 2014

I've seen over 120 shows in 2014 (breaking my previous record of shows I've seen in a year).  Apart from a small handful of shows, I loved each one of them for what they are and the diverse and challenging messages that the creators intend to bring to us.

I enjoyed volunteering at Light Night Leeds in October 2014 and look forward to doing it again in 2015. 

Volunteering at Light Night Leeds (Photo Credit: Light Night Leeds)

However there has been some low lights which a couple I ought to mention:

Sadly I had to finish a friendship with someone whose behaviour and actions were a bad influence to me and now consider the person concerned a bad associate.  It's sad when this happens but it was the necessary thing for me to do.  I learnt a lot from the unhappy experience and I'm currently rebuilding the love for the show that was lost and the friendships which were strained during the time. 

I'm having issues being single and yet haven't met anyone special and this presents an emotional challenge I have to deal with day in and day out!

Nevertheless there have been more gains than pains! 

 

My new year's aims are:

• Continue developing my passion for theatre locally and regionally.  Review and promote diverse and exciting shows through blogging and social media including my Facebook page Local Theatre Blogging Community.

Dessa Rose at Trafalgar Studios (August 2014)

• Establish myself socially in Leeds, meet new friends and broaden my new interests and hobbies.

• Secure my first paid EFL Teaching Role.  In the meantime I'll continue doing my voluntary teaching in Leeds in order to get invaluable experience.

• I really hope someone special enters my life in 2015.  In the meantime I'll continue being me!!!

Happy 2015 everyone! Let 2015 soon begin!!!!

Dawn Smallwood

27th December 2014