2017: A Whirlwind

2017 was a bit of a whirlwind. It had many highs, and many many lows. The most prevalent factor of 2017 was definitely school. Seriously, I was enrolled for courses in the winter, spring, summer and fall. But while school took up 90% of my year, 2017 gave me several great things. I was able to visit San Francisco and revisit Nicaragua. I completed my thesis for my Women and Gender Studies major, and I joined a wonderful research lab. I got back into reading for myself, instead of solely reading material for classes and papers. I got to spend more time with my friends and family, and learned the importance of taking a break. These lessons and highlights really made up for the low points of my year, and taught me to keep my mind on the good in the midst of bad.

Here is a quick highlight reel of my year:

My “Best Nine” pictures from social media: 

My favorite book of the year would have to be To All the Boys I Ever Loved  by Jenny Han. I had heard about this book for several years, but I did not think it would be a book I would enjoy. I was wrong. The main character, Lara Jean, was an average high school student, but her experiences coming to learn about loving herself and those around her was truly captivating.  Although the book title hints that it will revolve around Lara Jean’s love interests, it covers her love for her family, friends, and more.

My top music choices on Spotify:

My favorite photo that I took:

In 2018, I hope to have more experiences that both make me happy and teach me lessons. I always forget how much I have grown after a harrowing experience, but that is probably the most important takeaway from those moments. I want to read more books that are not assigned in my classes or for papers. This year I only read 7 books for myself, so I will be challenging myself to read more than twice that amount next year. Most importantly I want to be myself, learn to put myself first more often, and spend time with friends and family.

I wish you all a happy new year!!!

– Tatyana x