"Change is inevitable. Growth is intentional." - Glenda Cloud
2016 is over? What? Are you sure? How did that happen?
Did I miss a day or two?
I blinked and this
year was over, yet there was an unbelievable amount of good (and not so good)
that has happened in the past twelve months. I read the post I wrote at the end
of 2015 and it inspired me to reflect on all that has happened this year.
Something that
seems so trivial to me now is probably one of the biggest accomplishments and
changes of this year. At this point last year, I was well on the way to a full
recovery from my eating disorder, and rarely felt anxious during regular meals.
This year, however, I can confidently say that my mind no longer even ponders
the same thoughts. I am a normal girl again. I eat my body weight in chocolate
and pasta and I love every second of it. I am sure a big part of that shift
came because I am no longer cheering, hence, no longer worrying (consciously or
unconsciously) about my weight, flying, and being "easy to lift." I'm
no doctor, but I will say that my mindset changed after the accident. I don't
think that is coincidental. Suddenly starving yourself, after surviving what
probably should have been a fatal crash, seems like a very unwise test of fate.
Which leads me to
another huge occurrence 2016. There was this
accident that happened in February and I almost died, no big deal. I know
someone is going to scold me for being so flippant, but humor has been the best
way for me to cope with all the aftermath that has come with it, and do fully recognize how differently
the situation could have turned out. (See my post about the accident here) I still have no recollection of
that weekend, something for which I have come to be extremely grateful. As time
passes, though, I am just a tad bit curious as to how everything actually happened.
Almost a year
removed from all the chaos, though, I am unbelievably grateful for everything
that has happened. I certainly wouldn't want to experience it all again, once
was DEFINITELY enough, but it taught me so many valuable lessons. The thought
of changing any of it fills me with a bit of trepidation.
It definitely
taught me that I have more strength in my little body than I ever could have
imagined, figuratively and literally. Some of the is me, a mindset of
determination, but most of that is God. I swear, I've cheated death way more
times than any 22-year-old should. Though I may have more hardware in my body
than Iron Man, I'm just grateful to be re-assembled in one piece with no
lingering pain.
Taking another semester off from school was
probably one of the toughest consequences of it all, but the summer allowed me
to ease myself back into work and school while continuing to heal. While I was
able to take a summer class, it wasn't until September that I was really forced
to start swimming in the deep end.
I started the new
school year knowing that I had slight memory and attention issues, but I
foolishly assumed that my brain remained unchanged and returning to campus
would be a breeze.
School became more
difficult for me to handle. For the first time since, well... ever, I had to
make a conscious effort to focus in class, take diligent notes, and study everything. If I didn't write it down, there
was approximately a zero percent chance I was going to remember it, and that
was the most frustrating part. I had always been good at school. Academic
challenges always came naturally to me, but that is no longer the case.
I was able to
learn even from that, though. I never knew what a student's experience was like
when struggling through material. I only had the perspective of a naturally
gifted student who never really had to try too hard. Having a head injury,
though, gives me an empathy that I would have never experienced firsthand had
the accident not happened. So, really, crashing into a snow plow is going to
make me a better teacher, right?
This year truly
has been weird and formative, and fantastic and strange and wild and I'm not
entirely convinced that I ever regained consciousness. Am I in an anesthetically-induced
parallel universe where Donald Trump is now the President Elect? Ha! you don't
think I could really talk about 2016 without mentioning one of many unbelievably weird things that
happened, did you? I promise, that is all I will say.
While 2015
certainly gave me a sense of clarity and direction, 2016 forced me to be more
intentional in my life.
I now have to
consider things I never had to before. Driving in weather conditions,
considering the likelihood of a migraine, writing EVERYTHING down. Being
intentional is something I have watched a million TEDx talks about, but would
have never implemented without forceful circumstances. I suppose this year made
me slow down a bit and actually consider what in the world it is that i am actually
doing with my life. Going to school to achieve A's is not a life. Pursuing a
passion, actively giving to those around me, participating within and
experiencing the world? THAT is a life.
Highlights of 2016
NEW YORK with my
best friend!
One of
these days I really do need to sit down and write a post about how wonderful it
was!
Being less
than 100 feet away from Princess Tea Leoni and The Handsome Tim Daly and
the
Spitfire
Bebe Neuwirth and some other cool MSec actors
Not dying?
Did I
mention I was within spitting distance of TIM DALY? Soo Dreamy...
Junior Senior
Visiting the
Kaminski House
Being asked
if my Insta post could be used for Georgetown marketing
Doing everything I
should have done my freshman year of college
Chatting (and
eating lunch!) with Dr. Brad about his Peace Corps experience
Having a solid
plan for the next 5 years of my life (Don’t worry, I know God is sitting on his
throne laughing hysterically right now)
Not dying!
MAKING IT
THROUGH A NORMAL, UNINTERRUPED SEMESTER OF COLLEGE FOR THE FIRST TIME
EVER
Becoming a Writing
Coach
Finding charities
and causes I can stand behind
(cough,
cough you should check out UNICEF cough cough)
