Wow. Just wow. Mozambique. 100 kilometres in the Amatola mountains. Moving my life to The Netherlands. Visiting Disney land, Paris.
Intrepid travels to Germany and Belgium. To top it all, I fell deeply in love. The best year of my life, so far.

A new job - a job I love. Running fast - faster than ever. A hike, and another, and another - Cedarberg, Magaliesberg and Outeniqua, amongst but a few. Getting a tattoo, flying out a plane and jumping off a bridge. Frequency of dance and play and more to explore - because, why not? The best year of my life, so far.

A continuation of work, and running; and, a revival of the pursuit of knowledge. Too many things; that is, until the disease came about. Alas, silver linings were aplenty. Time with family, time for self-discovery, and time for exploring the act of exploration. The best year of my life, so far.

The first year of full-time work. Adjustments to living alone would ensue. So too the rebalance necessary after being left to one's own devices. But with freedom, comes fun - and, among long working hours, much fun, too, would be had. The best year of my life, so far.

The final year of my undergraduate degree. The final year of being a full-time student. The most of it was made - with just enough studying getting done. Time to enjoy the present, with one eye peering over the horizon at the change to come. The best year of my life, so far.

The study of Computer Science, is not easy. But, there must be some bad with the good. And, there was a lot of good. In a student town, in a student flat, life was alive with endeavour and mischief. Supposedly, the year of adulthood. I don't know about that. But, for sure, the best year of my life, so far.

Too big for my shoes, but - barefoot is fun too. An, all too early, insistence on being my own man would lead to difficult times. But difficult only in terms of material things. Everything else, was a blessed lesson that I could not do without. The best year of my life, so far.

From atop the mountain at school, to the very bottom of the valley. To tertiary education I came, and by tertiary education I wept. A cloud of uncertainty would loom; but, soon, would fade. 'Cause the fight's not that tough, when you choose not to fight. The best year of my life, so far.

Oh, what a year. Damn, what a year. Time for recreation and time for achievement don't usually go hand-in-hand. But, this year they did. At the summit of a school-top hill, everything was far too good to believe. I did the best I could've done, for sure. The best year of my life, so far.

The year before the last year of school. Apparently, it was important. To be expected, there were good choices; and, really bad choices. But, in the end I survived. No, I did more than survived - I opened my eyes. The best year of my life, so far.

What an awkward time to be alive. Apparently supposed to be growing up, but doing everything possible to avoid it. Looking out the classroom window, lifes-a-changing - but, for now, the social ladder we must climb. Lest we fall, it'll make for some hilarious stories. The best year of my life, so far.

A kind of in-between year. Although, in some ways - this was a peak on its own. Academics took a back seat to things more prominent at the time - like sport and the navigation of high school events. With the emphasis more on play, than work - this was the best year of my life, so far.

Welcome to high school. New learnings, new activities, new people. The bottom of the foodchain again. But, there couldn't have been a better time to be free of responsibility - for it was time for vuvuzelas and waka waka. The best year of my life, so far.

The last year of a long and arduous primary school journey. As kings of the tiny jungle, some thanksgiving was on the cards. More leeway to do as we please, with less oversight than years past, it was a time to enjoy the feeling of freedom, without the onus of responsibility. The best year of my life, so far.

My voice grew deeper, quicker than most. My leg-hair grew longer, and thicker than most.  Social anxiety was a thing; but, like a pimple, my bubble would pop. And with it, my nerves - for I started to know who I was, and wanted to be. The best year of my life, so far.

At learning, I was okay. At socialising, I was okay. But, at running...at running, I was more than okay. In the polarizing environment that was middle-school, running became the forte that would give me rapport in a jungle of younglings. Running - the highlight of the best year of my life, so far.

Bye bye Blackie - my lifelong collie friend. Lost was he, and lost was I. Split between two worlds. But, things have a special way of revealing themselves when you can see both sides. And that, that was bad, was equally good. The best year of my life, so far.

Valentines day was not so filled with love, as Mom and Dad chose to part. The new man of the house, I was. Only, I wasn't. That role was mom's, and she'd play it well. So well that I could focus on enjoying 2 birthdays, 2 Easters and 2 Christmas'...the best year of my life, so far.

On my new red bicycle, I'd cycle to school, and back - in time for Dragon Ball Z. From a noisy place, to a noisy place. Alas, we can choose to hide from the noise, or dance to the noise - and dancing's more fun. And as - at 8 o'Clock - the dancing feet are tucked away, I think to myself...the best year of my life, so far.

A, B, C, D, E, F, Grown...the thought that occurred, when I traded my pre-school attire for a tiny white button shirt. Bag too big on my back, glasses too big on my face, grown am I now - ready for reading, and writing, and taking life serious. Or, so I thought. The best year of my life, so far.

The last time that my place of schooling would change. Woodhill College - a title engrained in the history of me. In the penguin class, this journey would begin. The school yard sandpit another canvas to paint imagination - so too the Lego in my room. The best year of my life, so far.

Lekker dakkie...a little pre-school where fun would ensue, with other little friends - we were spritely as the grasshoppers we would chase. And a blink of an eye takes me on a trip to London - the big red bus, vivid to this day. The best year of my life, so far.

And then, there'd be 2. Me and one more - a sister that is. Everything would soon become shared - my room, my toys, my life. But sharing is fun, especially as it came with mom being home - all the time. A little, very happy, family. The best year of my life, so far.

Change did as it does, and came again. A new home - our own - brings many new places to play. A room that was mine, room more to run; and, a collie to boot - a constant companion for my adventures. That is, before the even more constant companion would come. In any case, the best year of my life, so far.

A move was in order. Into the home of my grandparents. Imagination tells that this could only have been good, as granny is the spoil-me-rotten kind. From a little black motorcycle, would come a lifelong scar. A reminder of the best year of my life, so far.

An easy baby; or, so it's told. Learning to walk, to move without help - a useful skill as mom and dad had left for work. Brief walks with Maria to the nursery. Caretaker Elise would look after and share details with mom, as early days passed by quickly. The best year of my life, so far.

Born to mother, Liz, and father, Pierre, by cesarian - as a result of my older sister's passing, 2 years prior. A warm family welcoming and a humble home to return to, with mother's care for the duration of her 6 weeks maternity leave. The first, and best year of my life, so far.