I realised in writing the above blog post that I never posted this one. It has been sitting in my “drafts” for 4 months…whoops! Anyway, the sentiments still stand true so I thought it was still worth sharing.
Last week (September 15, 2018) marked 1 year since arriving in the UK. Looking back on the previous year, there are both high and low points but on the whole I would call it a successful year. I grew both personally and professionally, met people from all over the world, and got bitten by the travel bug.
I travelled to eight countries. I had the opportunity to participate in international legal conferences and engage with legal students and professionals from various backgrounds. I also gained valuable work experience through a summer internship. I’m slowly learning that legal knowledge is only part of this profession and that networking and making connections wherever you go is just as important. Also, not be afraid to get involved and to talk to as many people as you can. If this international experience has been teaching me anything it’s that the world isn’t so inaccessible and that you have friends everywhere you go.
The most important thing that I’m taking into this year is to remember to just do you. Everyone is on their own journey and has different goals. It’s so easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others that we forget what we’re trying to accomplish and how far we’ve come on our own journeys. Every step, no matter how small, is still progress and what you’re doing is enough. You do you. At the end of the day self-care and self-improvement is all that matters.
Last year was a bit of a whirlwind and thinking about the fact that a year has already gone by is crazy. It’s important to practice self-reflection. By doing so we can realise just how much we’ve actually accomplished. It also allows us to refocus and set a gameplan for the remaining distance to reaching our goals.