Mary KennedyThis year has been very good to me. I have had a very nice time with work. I have just published my latest book, What Matters, which was launched by Mary McAleese in October. One of the chapters in the book deals with last year, because I was very exhausted and realised that I had some of the symptoms of burn-out. I realigned my life, and I take things much easier now. This year, I have had opportunities to travel. After Easter, I went to China with my sister, Deirdre. We had never been away on holiday together, just the two of us, and we complemented each other so well. We stayed with our cousin, Noelle, in Bejing, and had the most delightful time. Deirdre is interested in alternative spirituality, so it was lovely to be visiting temples with her. It was very relaxing. Noelle and Deirdre are great singers, so we had some sing-songs in Noelle’s apartment. In the summertime, I went walking in Italy with friends. I spent time on the Aran Islands, in Kerry and in Donegal. For work, I travelled to Edinburgh; Ethiopia; Kenya; and to Belgium, to commemorate the end of World War I….