As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on this past year. It has been without a doubt a year full of large milestones in my life, and it changed me indefinitely. So I think about what has happened that instilled these new changes in myself, because I feel like it’s important to myself to acknowledge them and, well, because my memory is awful so it’s good to have something to look back on to remember.. It’s something I suggest you do as well! Sort through the bad and good things that have happened so that you can charge 2019 head on with full confidence.
Lots of firsts
First apartment. First time traveling with a dog. First time living by myself (well, my boyfriend). So many first times and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m in my early twenties now and this is the decade where I will discover all of these “first times” and I will only experience more!
Lots of work
Planning for everything! Planning for a student visa, planning the transportation of my belongings, planning the flight for myself and my dog, apartment hunting then apartment furniture *building*, my back is still sore from all that dang work.
Unfurnished first apartment
Okay I know they rarely come furnished, but guys. I had to make an entirely new bullet point just for this. My apartment literally had *nothing*. When I think about 2018, I definitely think about the 258 Ikea trips we made throughout the year. I always thought that furnishing and decorating an apartment would be a fun dream come true, but this was the most stressful and backbreaking work I ever endured for the entire year.
Lots of goodbyes
Moving to another continent is no piece of cake. The hardest part of the move was saying bye to everyone. I left my first job of two years and the wonderful coworkers I became friends with, I had to tearily hug close friends goodbye, and wave farewell to family members as I ascended up the LAX escalator with Torben in my carrier. It’s never easy being so far away from loved ones, but it’s not like they’re gone forever. I had to keep reminding myself of that.
Lots of creativity
Okay, why does it have to be so negative?! It doesn’t! I’m almost done with my first year at an art university in Berlin and I have had a blast. Back home I never really exerted as much energy into art and creating as I have here. It’s been wonderful to just focus on creating, exploring, practicing, and being inspired by the cool people I go to school with. I was worried that I chose the wrong path for myself because I was never very good at traditional art, but I learned that that’s not what it’s about. It’s about creativity and wanting to grow.
Lots of growing up
Lastly, I had to grow up. I’m twenty-three years old (it still boggles my mind every time I say that) and I had to learn how to be more independent. I had to learn how to consistently cook for myself and not always eat at restaurants or take-out, to pick up after myself at home (okay, I know Philipp is raising his eye brow at this one…), evaluate my spending habits so that I can afford groceries and rent for the month, and basically just act my age. I do still get a lot of help from my boyfriend, though. For translations and phone calls to scary German people, so thank you! I *need* to take another German class.
So, do you feel inspired to bust out a paper and pen to jot down your year? I’d love to hear what other ways you use to reflect on your year and how you plan for a better one.
