Well, I know it’s not Christmas Day yet, but as I’ll be going away for the customary family holiday soon, I’m putting up my official Christmas message now.

2013 has been a year of change for me. I’ve now been in my new job for over a year, and a few weeks ago I had my first ever job review. I was insanely nervous, but ultimately my supervisor told me, bluntly, that I’d revolutionised the way the school’s archives are run and viewed by the rest of the school, and that our departing Principal likes me so much that he wanted to take me to his new school in Sydney with him. All in all, I walked out of there feeling pretty pleased with myself.

2013 is also the year I branched out from novels and wrote my first scripts. I expect to hear back about them in January – the same month in which I will be turning 28. If anything comes of my efforts, then this year will be an important one to look back on for that reason as well.

And finally, in 2013 I moved into my own home, which I’m immensely proud of and clean diligently every week. I promised myself I’d be in my own place before I turned 30, and I made it. So, with all that, I’d say this has been a very good year for me.

I hope 2013 has been good to all of you as well, whoever and wherever you are. And I hope 2014 is even better. And I hope you get something cool for Christmas! Or Hanukkah, if you’re Jewish. Jews should get cool stuff too.

If I look extra happy in this picture, it’s because it was taken immediately after the aforementioned job review.