On the day that this post goes live, it will be my 27th birthday. I’m guessing that I’ll be spending the day playing waitress to some builders that we currently have in the flat, trying to keep out of their way, not scoff too loudly at the cute videos that come up on my Facebook feed and looking through Timehop at all the pictures of me looking as drunk as a skunk at previous year’s birthday parties. The one of me perching on a chair in a body-con H&M skirt that barely covers my bum as my friend Nick (who now sorts out all my server stuff – hi Nick!) pours Vodka directly from the bottle into my mouth is always a highlight. Oh to be 20 again, eh? 

Seeing as this year’s birthday coincided perfectly with my video upload day (Wednesdays and Sundays at 9am GMT if you’re familiar), it felt wrong to ignore it. Although I must admit that I’m not into big birthday bonanzas these days. My mates and I are heading to see Bridget Jones in a couple of weeks time to mark the occasion and I’m sure I twist Mark’s arm to take me out for a burger tonight. Cheap date, me. Back to the video… so one afternoon I trawelled through all my footage, photos and memories from the past 12 months and collated them ‘This Is Your Life‘-style into today’s video. I must also add that this idea is very much not my own and is in fact Lily’s, who obviously features very heavily in my highlights from my 26th year.

I thought I’d go with the birthday theme, so 27 highlights it is and you know what? It’s not actually as long as I thought it would be. I cut the waffle, kept in the old footage and had full-on nostalgia all the way through editing. Although 26 hasn’t been all unicorns and rainbows, I’ve had a pretty awesome 12 months. I feel extremely lucky to be able to do what I love for a living, have the best partner in crime and awesome friends and family who I’ve really been able to spend some quality time with this year as I’ve managed to balance my work/life ratios a bit better than before. Yes I’m ageing and get vile hangovers from just a glass or two of wine these days (gone are my vodka chugging capabilities), but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m older, wiser, am slowly turning into my Mum and I’m OK with that. 27 – lets me havin’ ya… 

Photos by Lauren Shipley