This year has been an awesome year so far, and we have some really great plans for the next 6-9 months that are really going to change our lives for the better. I am so STOKED for 2014.

For a start, I feel like I'm finally getting a grip on my health issues. The big thing here is that I'm using conventional drugs to control pain and stuff, but then I'm using some complementary therapies to help me reduce the reliance on those drugs and improve the condition for the better.

For example, did you know that the spice Turmeric has been shown in some studies to be around 3-4 times more effective than ibuprofen as an anti inflammatory? I didn't believe it at first - because this one study wasn't really comprehensive enough to be accepted as medical fact - but Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and also Ayurvedic Medicine. So I thought.... why not give it a go? It's early days but it really does seem to be working very well. So well in fact that I think I will be able to use it as a partial replacement for some of my current prescription drugs. This has the advantage of cutting out some rather nasty side effects.

I also think I'm getting the balance right with diet and making sure I'm getting enough vitamins etc. The most important thing for me is actually absorption - I not only need to make sure my diet is balanced, but also that I can reap the benefits. So it's important to make sure I have a responsible amount of fat in my diet. Many vitamins and minerals and other compounds are fat soluable, and so a 'no' fat diet actually hinders your ability to absorb these. A responsible amount of fat (even just milk fats) are hugely beneficial in other ways.

On a different front, we have set ourselves a 'financial' challenge that culminates in our wedding in 2015 (hopefully), which for a goals and achievement oriented person like me is actually quite exciting as a journey, as well as a destination.

Speaking of Journeys... we have also booked a "summer tour" in June/July that will see us back in Paya's hometown, then in Austria, then through Hungary (seeing most of it only out of the train window), into Slovakia, and then back to London via the Czech Republic again. I'm really excited about this trip - not least Austria, because I'm beginning to really like Vienna.

On the work front, I have a busy 2-3 months ahead with yet more time in the North of England, more time in Belgrade (Serbia), but hopefully after things settle down I will have a calmer few months here in London.

Back on the personal horizon, I have been looking at a little pet project for me to "tinker" with as a way to relax and to pass the time at airports and travelling. As many of you know, I have an avid interest in certain aspects of British history. At the same time, my job and work background is in IT. I have been road testing some "wiki" software, and so my pet project (if I get it off the ground) is going to be half technology (setting up the Wiki on a server, a bit of web design and basically playing around), and half putting in "content" on those areas that I have some specialist knowledge. These are areas that are under-researched on Wikipedia for example.

I will probably never publish it for the outside world, but I will have some fun doing it, even if it does seem to be a little geeky.

Which brings everyone up to speed on 'me'. Which, as it was the purpose of this blog, also makes it the end of this blog.

Happy new year everyone

West.