Yet another year getting closer to the person I want to become. Here are 7 things I learned in 2017

1. Patience

Patience is something I didn’t have growing up, mostly because of the short-tempered genes in my family. It’s been a quality I’ve wanted to work on for so long, and I feel like I have gotten the farthest this year. A year and a half into college, put in positions where I had to deal with people I didn’t vibe with and with many that I did. For those of you who know, I decided to start fashion blogging as a creative outlet earlier this year, and oh boy patience is such a virtue for that. I’ve had so much fun creating this year, but an online presence is something you have to work diligently for. A lot of times my downs weren’t in my control, and accepting that was the biggest part, contributing to further ups alongs the road.

2. Creativity is in collaboration

My blog has been a big part of my life this year with opportunities I didn’t think were possible, and so many doors opened for my passions. I’m beyond grateful for the people both in and out of the industry who have given me the positive support that keeps me creating. Collaborations were close to the #1 thing that helped me grow, as I met new people almost every week with the same drive and will to create as me. All those hard days commuting with some great shoots and some not so great, made me really appreciate all that everyone’s doing out there. Check out my favorite shots of 2017 if you’d like to see!

3. Getting closer to real friendships

My first semester of sophomore year brought me closer to people similar to me. I’ve always struggled with finding people that appreciate the crazy person I am on the inside, while having the same work ethic towards their goals. I can say for a fact I’ve begun to meet more and more friends that have become my inspirations, encourage me to work harder than ever to accomplish what I want, and have truly been the happiness in my life this year. I had to let go of the ones that weren’t giving me the same that I was to them, some of the hardest things to do. But in the long run it has given me the opportunity to fill that place in my heart with people who will truly stand by me no matter what.

4. Failure despite hard work

I wrote a little about this semester in my last post, but it has definitely been my most challenging one so far, both academically and physically. I was balancing being a new RA, with excess club involvements and maximum credits. I wanted to do everything and realized that I really couldn’t, which was the hardest to accept. I can say I truly worked hard to make it all work, but at the end was left with a drop in my GPA, subpar accomplishments by spreading myself out so thin, and poor health. Realizing that I worked so damn hard, but still failed in my eyes was a hard pill to swallow. Sometimes your best may not be enough given the circumstances, and that is okay.

5. Challenging my comfort zone

My comfort zone was challenged quite a bit this year, and although I said that last year too, I’m happy it’s being continually challenged. Comfort is necessary but I don’t want to be at a point in my life where I’m too comfortable. I worked with strangers from all over the country and learned how to be a mentor to those younger than me. Naturally, I was hesitant in so many situations from sending that yes email or yes text, but I’m beyond grateful to my past self that I did. As much discomfort it gave me, it gave me double knowledge and opportunity. I hope that I continue doing things that scare me, because the ones that scare you are the ones that you remember the most.

6. Deeper definitions of family

Living away from home is a distance from the daily ups and downs of my family. We all do a great job of sharing our happy moments with one another, as those build the connections we lose miles away. This year I appreciate that with my growing age I was met with even the sorrows that weren’t mentioned during visits or FaceTime calls. A family is built through sharing happiness AND sadness, given the latter being the hardest to give, as no one wants to be a worry to their loved ones. I learned a lot about what really constitutes a functional family, and how to maintain moments of togetherness despite deeper disconnections.

7. Finding the good in the bad

At the start of the summer, I had everything planned out for my 3 months off only to realize it all being turned upside down just a few days before. It was heartbreaking, and I let myself be upset about it for a while because I knew it was something I needed to do in order to get myself out of that stage. I had lost opportunities and new experiences, but coming back home gave me time to really focus on my body, peace with those around me, and some new accomplishments along the way. I was tested at first, and I’m happy that I didn’t let sadness consume me, as I still found loads of joy in the unplanned.

I not one for resolutions, but I wanted to add a couple things I hope to see myself working on this upcoming year.

1. Be present

My phone really did consume me this year, with constantly blogging and being on social media. It’s definitely hard to unplug sometimes, and even when I do it’s always running on the back of my mind. I hope to enjoy more times with my friends and family without a device in my hand, something that I know won’t be entirely “fixed” in the new year but a goal I want to at least make a dent in.

2. Self care

I’m not going to say I hope to be completely healthy mentally and physically this year because I know absolutes like that are not attainable. But I want to put myself first this year, something I didn’t do nearly enough of this past year. Saying yes is equally as important as saying no, especially when sleep and your health is in question.