#2016 reflections

[mykidsgay]

It was a year that made me focus less on tomorrow and more on the present, because the future felt too precarious and the present so dangerous.

Read Rae Spoon’s beautiful reflections on 2016, activism, and optimism <3 

[justgoodsunshine]

2016 Favs

Is it just me or does the novelty and thrill of a new year wear off as soon as you’re either back to work or school?  I love the idea of having the chance to start over but it’s always so much harder to keep those resolutions than we want it to be.  

Everyone said 2016 was a bundle of crap, but I don’t think it was that bad.  It was definitely 366 days of learning more about life.

Some highlights:

ONE // Pittsburgh

I feel like I spent my entire time in Pittsburgh telling people it was a more relaxed Boston.  I really grew to love my small Pittsburgh family and found myself crying while I drove out of the city for the last time.  I never expected to move there and my job was no walk in the park but I find myself missing my day to day life.  Needless to say, more often than not, I don’t miss waking up to panicked texts from 16 year olds when they’re not feeling well and need to go to the hospital, but I do miss having many people running around my home.  Also, I was lucky enough to have a killer assistant who was more of a partner-in-crime than an assistant, who was always there to bounce ideas off of, share new purchases, fix my eyebrows (lol), binge watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, deal with the mayhem of our jobs, and to run to Church Brew Works in the middle of the afternoon (a hidden gem of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville!).

TWO // J. Crew

There may be a pattern here but huge contributing factors to why I liked Pittsburgh so much and why I’ve adjusted to Madison are because of working at J. Crew.  I’ve worked in retail since 2011 for numerous companies but with this one, things seemed to click.  I love the clothes which makes it easy to sell.  Even more, I love the feeling of helping someone find the perfect outfit for an interview, date, graduation, whatever!  Knowing that they trust your judgement and seek your advice is certainly fulfilling.  I hope to continue sharing my passion for the company and creating great outfits through 2017.

THREE // Family

Last year was a very bizarre year for my family.  I’ve always been very close with my parents ever since I left for boarding school when I was 16.  My mom chose to do multiple touring shows throughout my time in college, which I thought was for a more consistent income.  I later realized that it was also to not live at home.  After a long separation, most of which I don’t understand, my parents officially divorced this year.  My friends have been so supportive as to how to cope with this and everything that comes along with it.  Also, my Bubbie, my mom’s mom, passed away in May at age 91!! What a champion.  I shut down after her passing and threw myself into my work but I miss her every single day.  Later in the year, my mom’s biological father passed away as well.  Boy, when it rains, it pours.  On the bright side, my parents spend a freaky amount of time together and usually cooperate, which makes me think that they’re not so bad as friends.

FOUR // Madison & Grad School

I’m clumping these two together because in my mind they go hand in hand.  I’m starting to realize I don’t hate moving to new places.  Of course, the actual moving in and unpacking process drives me up a wall but I love getting to the point where I feel comfortable in a routine.  Madison is such a fun place with a ton to offer that I haven’t even really had the chance to explore.  I was always so afraid of huge universities but now that I’m here, I love the possibility to make it feel like a small school within a larger community.  I’ve been running around saying I wanted to be a Spanish teacher.  I finally had the chance to get up in front of a room full of bright eyed students and do just that: TEACH!  One hundred percent a huge highlight of this semester and of my year was realizing how difficult and fulfilling and amazing teaching is.  I can’t wait to get to do it again! And here we go with another semester of grad school, starting up on Tuesday, already have over 40 pages to read! Fun don’t stop, friends, fun. don’t. stop.

Hope you’re all enjoying the new year so far!  Happy Friday the 13th ;)

Disfrute del sol! 

[arianneatienza]

Thank you 2016, you were good

Thank you 2016, you were good

When I think of 2016, I felt like it is the year I fed the millennial in me (though I’m in denial for being one). The YOLO chant, the travel while you’re young, the keep up with what’s everyone’s talking about. There are some unwise decisions made, some really struggling events but there are those moments that are for the books. I look back in 2016 and I saw God’s mercy all over, His faithfulness…

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[lifeofafemalebibliophile]

Hello 2017! Goodbye 2016! As the new year begins, I’d thought I’d take some time to reflect on 2016 on a personal level, share some highlights, and discuss my bookish habits of last year.

Personally, 2016 was a good year for me. As with every year, it definitely has its ups and downs, but for the most part, the general consensus is that it was good. I feel blessed and am excited to experience a new year full of opportunities.

As for the presidential election… well… there are too many things to discuss about that in one post, but I and many other people are still reeling from the results. Everything is still sinking in for me, and to be honest I’ve never felt so terrified for the future that lies ahead after an election. I know I can’t change the results, but now more than ever, people need to become proactive in their local and federal governments.

The sun is blinding me here! (James Scott Memorial Fountain at Belle Isle)

On a more positive note, though I didn’t get to do as much traveling as I wanted to last year, I found the time to explore the places around Metro Detroit which I feel so much love for. I strolled through the food stalls and stores in Eastern Market, dined in Greektown, and even visited some of my favorite museums such as the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Historical Museum.

I finally got a new job and I’m not working in retail anymore! I’m enjoying having weekends to myself once again. I am so grateful for a new opportunity to be able to learn some new skill and meet new people. I now work in the circulation department in a public library and I love it! It’s a bibilophile’s dream come true, and the patrons and my co-workers are awesome!

In early spring, I visited one of my best friends from college (Stephanie) who lives in the Chicago area. While visiting, we shopped at outlet malls, dined at local restaurants, and had a chance to catch up with each other. I hadn’t been to Chicago in while and it was nice to see all the new places to visit while revisiting the old. My friend also showed me around different towns in Indiana and one of the highlights was getting to visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore park. Though the water was too cold to swim in, I still was able to dip my feet along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Tribune Tower

Standing out over the river at Night

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Practicing for the spring Recital

I also knocked another item off my bucket list which was learning hula dancing. It was a bit intimidating at first, but after I began to warm up to my new classmates and the welcoming environment, I got the hang of it! I met some amazing people and even got to participate in a recital. More on that to come in a separate post!

Race day! There a ton of participants!

I also ran (actually jogged) in my first 5K in June at the Rainbow Run in Ferndale, Michigan. I would definitely do it again since I had so much fun. Part of the reason that I liked it so much was that it was non-competitive and that I got to run through waves of colored powder. My shirt was completely tie-dyed by the end of the run and though I’m not in the best physical shape I still handled myself well.

As for my bookish reflections, I did complete my Goodreads challenge of reading 100 books (contrary to the image depicted below). I’m always forgetting to add books that I read, but didn’t review on the blog. In 2017, I’m aiming to read 120 books and I think I can do it.

There was a lot of discourse throughout book Twitter and though it’s not always easy, I’m glad to see that we (readers, authors, publishers) are having a more open discussion about diversity and other issues that have risen over the years. I want to continue to read more #ownvoices and diverse lit in 2017 and also read the books that are strewn throughout my room and over-cluttered bookshelves. I need to cut back on buying books drastically!

(Source)

I’ve met so many and made connections with awesome book bloggers and it makes me so happy to meet and talk with such awesome people. If you have been following my blog since the beginning or more recently, thank you for your readership and support! It means so much to me and I look forward to bringing new content, reviews, and a new look to the blog this year!

Last but not least, a reflections post wouldn’t be complete without some goals that I want to achieve throughout the year:

Work on time management skills

Give the blog a new design

Work on eating healthier and exercising more

Continue to expand my reading horizons

Focus on having a more positive attitude

Budget money more carefully

Practicing more self-care

What are your reflections on 2016? Have you set any goals for 2017? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Personal & Bookish Reflections on 2016 Hello 2017! Goodbye 2016! As the new year begins, I'd thought I'd take some time to reflect on 2016 on a personal level, share some highlights, and discuss my bookish habits of last year.

[tinsqu]

Day 10: New Years Resolutions

Sing more for fun. Learn music for fun. Stop making music my work. That’s what the future is for. Make it fun again.

Be kinder to myself. I’ve been so mean to myself, criticizing myself at any chance I get. So I have to be nice to myself.

Treat my body correctly. I want to ride my bike more. I need to stop eating so unhealthily. I feel a part of my depression is because I don’t go outside often to breathe.

Get what I deserve, and I only deserve the best. Don’t settle anymore.

Never take my eyes off the prize.

[tinsqu]

Day 9: The end of last school year/the beginning of this one.

End of the last school year: MY JURIES. My goodness... My juries went so bad Spring 2016! I messed up on my words and they picked the song I just wasn’t prepared enough. I ended up getting one B and honestly, I was shocked that I even got A’s because it was just bad.

The beginning of this one: It was... let’s just say I was hella sketch about it lol. Going into the school year with an on-the-rocks relationship, I kind of wasn’t looking forward to this. And behold, it was a shitty semester. Grades were solid, tho.

[tinsqu]

Day 8: The funnest getaway.

[tinsqu]

Day 7: Your birthday.

Honestly. I don’t really remember much about my birthday, despite me raving on about it LOL. All I remember is that.... someone very close to me told me his feelings and I died of cuteness and surrounded by love. Every thing else that happened on that day is completely irrelevant because never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that this particular birthday would change the entire course of my life.