What’s up, everyone!

Today is the final day of 2015 and I thought it would be fun to close off this year by sharing my highlights of this year. A lot has happened in one year. A lot of good stuff, which I am very happy about.

First things first, something that I’d like to call a victorious moment, if I say so myself. That is quitting the cigarettes! After smoking for 20+ years (yes, I was very young when I started) I finally quit the stinky cigs with something that would definitely help many others who are struggling with quitting. And that’s vaping! I started with those e-cigarettes from Zensations, which is basically a recharchable battery where you can screw on these so called cartridges with e-liquid that comes available in different flavours. So, I was vaping on that for a few weeks or so, and still smoke cigarettes every now and then, but not as much as before. Smoking the e-cigarettes ended up not being my thing. I mean it was nice, but it didn’t really give me the full satisfaction, really.

I dug a little deeper and came across videos on YouTube about vaping, with different reviews of these so called mods, clearomizers, atomizers, etc. It was all like hocus pocus to me at first, but after watching a shit load of different videos I started to understand what it all is and means.

So, in March I purchased a mod. This one’s called the eGrip by Joyetech. It’s a simple mod with a built in tank and it’s 20 watts. I still don’t fully understand the wattage thing, but 20 watts is the maximum you can vape on. I think the higher the wattage the better flavour you get from the e-liquid, although I am not 100% sure. I am still learning.

So, this year I finally quit the stinky sticks and I can’t believe I managed to do so. I have tried quitting many times and I always fall off the wagon after a couple days. Vaping is such a healthier and nicer alternative. I have a total of three mods now. I also have the Eleaf iStick 20 watts mod and the Eleaf iStick 60 watts mod with temperature control. The last one is my latest one I purchased a couple days ago and I freakin’ love it! And there are hundreds of different flavours for your vape and it’s just the best. So much better than smoking!

When I started vaping I began with 12 mg of nicotine and right now I dropped to 3 mg of nicotine. So, it’s basically a process. But the 3 mg of nicotine is about perfect for me. And it’s so nice not to wake up with that feeling like your lungs are in your throat. And the vapor doesn’t ruin your lungs and I also noticed that my skin looks more refreshed. Mister vain, I know! Cheers to no more cigarettes!

The second best thing that happened this year, which is also something that I am super happy about is that I am finally debt free! Holy moly, that feels freakin’ great! I had a debt of roughly five thousand euros. It was a struggle because I was in a major depression that started in 2009 which caused me to lose my job, which then caused me not being able to pay my bills, which led to debt collectors and stuff, which then caused me even more depression, which eventually gave a burn out. I was suicidal, I had a shit load of therapy sessions, severe social anxiety… You may know the story, so I won’t go deeper on that. But yeah, after roughly five years I am finally debt free. With a lot of help from a budget management office here, I had to cut some strings, but I managed to pull through it. And it feels good. Knowing that I am debt free is such a huge relieve and it allows me to work and fully focus on myself and pick up the broken pieces and glue them all together.

The third thing I did, which made me think long and hard, is changing my YouTube channel. As some of you know, I have been vlogging daily since 2009, sharing my life, my ups and downs, in a video blog series, which after a couple of years got changed into weekly vlogging and I had over 900 vlogs uploaded. I wanted to make a change so bad! Because since earlier this year I started feeling a bit better again, doing my thing and working on myself. So, after thinking hard about this I decided to change up my channel and start a gaming channel, mainly for The Sims 4. I had purchased the game because the Mac version was released then, so I thought it was a great idea to do. But I wanted to start fresh. So I finally decided to delete all my 900+ vlogs, all videos of where I shared my deepest feelings, struggles and emotional breakdowns, and just start completely over. And that’s what I did! And it feels so nice to start with something new, something I love doing. I still upload a vlog occasionally, but mostly they’re gaming videos. And I am enjoying it! It was a big step and a big decision to make, but I have no regrets! I did back-up all my old vlogs on my external hard drive, so no worries.

The final highlight of this year was seeing my number one idol Madonna again at the Ziggodome in Amsterdam on December 5! The Rebel Heart Tour was quite a spectacle. This was the tenth time I saw Madonna and she really outdone herself again. I queued at the venue for twelve hours in the freezing cold, but it was totally worth it. My whole body was literally broke for the next two days, but like I said, it was totally worth it. Wish I could go see the show again, but I am happy I get to see it at least once. Long live the Queen of Pop!

So, these were the highlights for me in 2015. Great moments and great victories. I have no resolutions for 2016. We will just see what comes my way and just live in the moment. Happy New Year, everyone! May it be filled with lots of love, joy, happiness, peace and unity!