Ten days into 2014, and the fact that it's a brand new year has finally sunk in...

2013 was a year of many ups and downs. It began with me in the midst of a hard slog through my thesis, and ended at a bar in Kuala Lumpur, with fireworks going off over my head (I was helping out!).

In between all that, many crazy things happened, both good and bad. In honour of the year that was 2013, I'd just like to have a brief look back at five of the most awesome things that I got to do, amongst all the other things that happened.

In no particular order of greatness:

1 - Travelling to St Maarten

Flying halfway around the world to watch and photograph planes was the craziest thing I have ever done in my life. And it was absolutely unforgettable.

Read more about the trip here.

2 - Attending VidCon 2013

Getting to meet a number of people who have been such an inspiration in recent years, catching great performances, making new friends - Just some of the things that occurred on a trip that started off as another crazy decision that I made while I was all stressed out.

No regrets.

3 - A 19 day trip in Canada

This family trip took a mad amount of planning on my part, and didn't go off without a hitch. But it was still very much a dream come true. From beautiful mountains to old historic cities, all I can really say is that Canada's got me. I want to return for more.

4 - A Tour around Spain

The annual end-of-year family/family friends trip took me on my second sojourn into Europe. There were so many historical sights to see that "UNESCO World Heritage Area" was probably the most frequently heard phrase on the trip.

Being with a group of friends that I grew up with made it even more special.

And last, but certainly not the least,

5 - My graduation

The end result of four years of work and money, of immense stress and great memories. Nuf' said.

More said here.

(Credits to Andrew for this great shot!)

So ends 2013 and begins 2014, but this won't be the last that I'd write about events that happened in the last year. You have my extreme ability to procrastinate to thank for that.

Coming up in the next few weeks or months, I hope to post more about the various epic trips that I had in greater depth, with all the wonderful photos of course.

Till then, have a great year ahead.

Raylen