Ellie’s 2018

🥛 Started the new year on the beach in a circle of old people I had never met.

🥛 Vomited a lot in front of the conservative family camped across from us.

🥛 Got fired from the worst job in the world.

🥛 Found old photos of my parents that made me cry.

🥛 My love for mullets continued to grow and there was nothing I could or wanted to do to stop it.

🥛 Spent two weeks camping with my parents. We played scrabble and analysed other campers, creating theories about their lives.

🥛 Got my first ever Mr Whippy. Choc Nut. Loved it.

🥛 Watched the sun set with a boy I’ve had a crush on since I was 10. I realised his brother is more my type.

🥛 Came home to drink beer in the pool with my friends.

🥛 Cradled a fluffy cat.

🥛 Tried Aperol spritz, it’s disgusting, sorry.

🥛 Woke up early lots more to go to the beach.

🥛 Took lots of photos of magpies. They are my favourite bird.

🥛 Went to my first nightclub. Hated every second.

🥛 Ate a lot of drunken KFC.

🥛 Watched the sky more.

🥛 My friends started uni and I was sad.

🥛 Played a lot of pub trivia. Came last every time and loved every second of it

🥛 Paid $200 for my RSA and never got a bar job.

🥛 Saw lots of beautiful talented women play music and it made me feel empowered and welcome.

🥛 Went to my friends uni lecture. I love history so much. I want to go to uni, but I don’t want to be enrolled.

🥛 Started to listen to Neil Young more than I ever have before – if that’s possible. He is my favourite person in history.

🥛 Avicii’s death hit me very hard. I think about him a lot.

🥛 Saw Harry Styles. Danced to One Direction hits for hours with teenage girls afterwards. Lost my voice. Walked home in the pouring rain.

🥛 Went to a dog show at my grandparent’s retirement village. Cried.

🥛 Went to a party. Boiled an egg on the fire and drank by myself in the corner.

🥛 Stopped caring that I dress like a slob even for parties.

🥛 Swam in the ocean in the freezing rain.

🥛 Developed an all-consuming hatred for the government.

🥛 Stopped making excuses for boys that are doing nothing to deserve it.

🥛 Drank tinnies in the car with my friends.

🥛 Did not work out once. Ate more than ever.

🥛 Fell in love with a guitar. Couldn’t afford it.

🥛 Got a passport lol.

🥛 Went overseas for the first time in my life with my best friend.

🥛 Cycled around a lake on our first day in the scariest traffic on earth.

🥛 Smoked Vietnamese mountain weed and drank rice wine with a group of strangers from all over the world. Laughed so hard I was crying all night.

🥛 Fell in love with stray dogs – they are living how they should be. Domesticated dogs now make me sad.

🥛 Learnt about the indigenous culture.

🥛 Spent $50 on nangs at a party hostel.

🥛 Felt sad to turn 19.

🥛 Lost my thong and scaled a muddy cliff to rescue it.

🥛 Climbed a volcano.

🥛 Spent all my money on food. Had to get two loans from my parents.

🥛 Went on a boat ride in wild seas. I felt enveloped. One of the best times of my life.

🥛 Snuck into seven hotel pools.

🥛 Flew to Melbourne to meet our best friends for the grand final!!!!

🥛 Camped all the way back to Sydney with our best friends. Saw emus, wombats and platypus for the first time.

🥛 Took photos of my garden. It had changed so much while I’d been away.

🥛 Hugged my mum.

🥛 Found all my high school drawings. I want to do something with them, but I don’t know what.

🥛 Stopped hating my body so much (most of the time).

🥛 Called out a girl online for discriminating against trans people. We had a long chat. She changed her mind, apologised and deleted the post!

🥛 Had two crushes. They both have long brown curly hair and play guitar.

🥛 Saw the best girl band ever by myself, danced all night and had the happiest time.

🥛 I love my friends so much. We are closer than ever, and I didn’t know it was possible.

🥛 A boy I hadn’t spoken to for two years (but I know has been stalking me from a private account) replied to my insta story of a band with “Fuck off Ellie”, for seemingly no reason. It was the most personal attack I have ever received, and I loved it.

🥛 Learnt you have to try to make a difference even if it means doing the bare minimum.

🥛 I am so excited for where I am headed.