In just a few hours I will be saying goodbye to the ‘office’ and hello to the holidays. I am very relieved that extended retail hours are over and that all that is left to do for 2009 is eat, drink (get a spraytan, pack for a ten-day cruise) and be very very merry! What an incredible year 2009 has been... over the past 12 months I have gone from a newlywed to a not-so-newlywed – grown to love my husband more than I thought was possible and adapted to the new set of responsibilities that come with turning a household into a home. I’ve cultivated new friendships and renewed old ones, I’ve been forced to face my weaknesses and discovered strengths I never knew I had. This year I learnt that sometimes the worst experiences are worth going through, if only to show you that you can get through the toughest battles in one piece. I’ve learnt that blind loyalty can be, just that – blind. And that friendship is less about unconditional love and more about loving people no matter what the