Looking back over the last twelve months of 2012, it’s safe to say it has been a good year.

No, I didn’t win anything at the London Olympics and nor was my glee due to the SNP’s sweeping gains in the May local authority elections or the news of Justin Timberlake’s assassination or Tony Blair’s arrest for war crimes.

Rather on a personal front, much happened that was definitely good news.  Late last year, just before Christmas in fact, I submitted my second book in the mullet series, the sequel to Up The Creek Without a Mullet, to my publishers.  It came out this year to some warm reviews, pleasing sales, fun events, and nice feedback from readers, not least in New Zealand where part of the book was set and where significant media attention greeted my quest to that country’s five mullet locations in 2008.

Getting the book written also freed up some time – and spurred me on – to get more travel writing done, finally getting round to writing up some short travel pieces and publishing them on my website.  Among all that, I even managed to spend some time on the two ideas for novels that I have been merely kicking around my head for far too long.

I also managed to travel quite a bit this year, with a trip or two through various parts of Europe, numerous explorations around Scotland, and plans emerging to go to New Zealand to help promote the book.

In other news, my Esperanto continues to improve, and I attended the joint Scottish/British Esperanto congress in Edinburgh in April, the first of many opportunities to use the language in travel.

As for 2013, I’ve no idea what to expect.  I am not really one to make predictions.  Instead I am simply content that 2012 was a happy and enjoyable twelve months.

At least… that’s the plan.  How was your 2012?