2022 Reflection
Some highlights and lessons I picked up as a freshly minted 20-year-old in 2022.
January just passed and February is upon us. These couple of months are a period of transition. It’s when we set numerous unreachable resolutions, and also for me, applying to whatever internship I can find.
2022 was indeed a memorable year, one filled with crazy adventures for this freshly-minted 20-year-old Julia. One thing I learned is that life is spontaneous: you never know who you will meet or what opportunity you will be thrown into. We cannot direct the wind, but we can surely adjust the sails? My main character persona tries to adjust her sails, but still got whirled into a hurricane of events.
2022 is about fallout of friends and finding new friends. Some close friends over 2022 winter break sadly don’t talk anymore. Some friends in distanced colleges are in sporadic communication, focusing on school and living in the moment. One friend even wanted to “cut me off.” Luckily, these friends who chose to forgo our friendships despite me reaching out made room for more worthwhile friends that reciprocate the same energy. A small group of close, reliable friends is better than a million acquittances.
2022 is about character growth. Realizing more happiness comes from experiences instead of material goods, I restricted myself from buying clothes over Black Friday. I invest in experiences because memories and stories last forever. I also started investing in people, whether sharing unique experiences or devoting time to build them up. One thing I learned over Urbana (church conference over winter break) is that relationships ultimately determine how happy you are in life. So looking forward to making more stable, reliable friends!
2022 is about adventures. Here are some things I did that I cannot forget:
Starting my newsletter!
Realizing my worth
Skydiving
Partying it up at Yale and puking in a pizza restaurant
Roof-topping in Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia
Seeing a buffalo up close, pooping
Eating a live cricket
Laughing my face off and playing card games with ChemE friends
Catholic-Caroling in New Jersey
Omakase
Going on a cross-country trip with a person I only knew for a month
I finished The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (thanks Anant for the recommendation). It was a short yet witty story, illustrating how spontaneous life can be. Despite the trials and tribulations, the main character remained persistent, striving to achieve his destiny even though he could have been content with what he had and stopped on the way countless times. One lesson from The Alchemist that helped me deal with the anxiety of my future is this: “people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.” I believe everything is learnable and if I try, I am confident in my ability to grapple with new challenges. I think the fear comes from failing even after I try, but failures are temporary and everything will work out as time goes on. There’s a long life ahead of me to enjoy. Putting trust in God was the hardest but most worthwhile lesson I’ve learned.
Well, this concludes my first newsletter of 2023. I don’t believe in New Year's resolutions because I never keep them. But cheers to being more consistent, focusing on a few things that matter to me, celebrating the little moments, and improving my ability to convey ideas. How is your soul doing today?