A year in review post (for me) is a chance to touch base with the accomplishments, changes, and goals I have for the future.

This will be my second year in review, I did one for 2016 that you can find here. I’ll warn you now that I failed to accomplish two out of four of my 2017 resolutions. One of the two that I failed to accomplish was “Write Year-in-review post for 2017 before the year is over” and I am currently typing this in March 2018. Despite my consistent procrastination, I actually do enjoy this project. If I keep it up, I’ll be able to look back in a few years and see how life has unfolded.

I’d like to think that I have been “blooming gloriously for myself” this year as I wrote hopefully in my blog last year. I’ve been concentrating on growth and perspective.

If I had to reduce 2017 to three words I would say it was prolific, studious, and meandering. Favorite songs of this year were “Roots” by In This Moment, “Almost Like Praying” By Lin-Manuel Miranda, and “Hallelujah” by Mennel Ibtissem.

Resolutions Made for 2017, three professional and one personal.

1. Write Year-in-review post for 2017 before the year is over.
2. Get a job and learn more skills that further my career.
3. Write at least one blog a month.
4. Do more art!

As I have already mentioned, the first resolution did not happen as planned. I finished mapping out my Bullet Journal for 2018 on time, but I did not even start on writing my Year-in-review post for 2017 until late February 2018. That’s not too far off what I did last year when I started writing my year in review post in late January and finished it in early February.

I did not write at least one blog a month (resolution #3) either despite my best intentions. As far as the official record (my blog) is concerned, I wrote two posts. I have at least two other drafts started but did not get them anywhere near completion. I don’t have any excuses for the first half of the year, but in the fall I was working full time, taking two academic classes, and a self-defense class.

Accomplished:

• Certified Notary Public for CT
• Started Office Assistant position at Realm
• Two classes at Norwalk Community College:
  • Business Application Software (Grade: A)
  • Graphic Design I (Grade: A)
• Read 100 Books for GoodReads Challenge (43 were graphic novels)
• QuickBooks Training
• Greenwich PD Self-Defense Class
• Orchid Lived!

My Writing for 2017:

• Year-in-Review: 2016
• Car Necromancers (a short story)

On the other hand, I did get a job and learned quite a few useful skills that further my employability (resolution #2). Plus I got back into art and finished several fun projects (resolution #4).

My art for 2017 ( a vague list until I find a better way to post art):

• Birthday Doodles
• Personalized stamp for a friend
• Paintings of friends’ dogs
• Paintings of friends’ cats
• Flowers
• Patterns for Graphic Design class
• Raccoon Holiday Card 2017: Holiday Sweater Life

Many of the themes that characterized 2016 continued into the early months of 2017. I continued my job search and I pulled in some extra income by house/pet sitting for friends and family. I adapted to living with my parents again and spent a lot of time traveling to Massachusetts to see people I care about. I put a lot of energy into creating a healthy space for myself, despite all of the stresses the country is under. I stood up for my beliefs and went to NYC for the Women’s March in January, and have kept up to date with the latest developments in the news. I tried my hand at meal planning, I was doing consistent workouts for about half the year (need to work on that), I organized parts of my room, and I kept several houseplants alive. There is an orchid in my closet that my aunt gave me for my 2017 birthday. It’s flowering again! There was a time that I thought I had killed it, so I’m pretty pleased with its recovery.

In early 2017, I continued helping out at the local American Red Cross while searching for jobs. During that time I worked a few temp jobs. I got the opportunity to work temporarily at Melissa & Doug in February 2017 as an Operations Associate. Other than having a wonderful and friendly team at the company, there’s something delightful about starting the day by walking through a showroom of toys. I greeted the giant Panda plush each morning and noticed new toys tucked into corners every time I wandered through. In this temporary position, I learned about inventory management and assisted with the backlog of holiday returns.

After interviewing in March, I started at Realm in mid-April. I did not know the company’s long history as Audiocom when I was hired, but it turns out that my father is familiar with the company. As an Office Assistant, I spend most of my time on the computer working in QuickBooks.

At the end of April, I helped out with the American Red Cross’ Red and White Ball. In May I became a Notary Public and went camping in upstate CT.

In June I crossed “Shoot a gun” off my bucket list. Realm and Lutron hosted a team outing to Orvis Sandanona Shooting Range. We shot clay pigeons out of the air with shotguns and later visited the Sloop brewery. It was my first time holding a loaded gun, and I feel my modest score was decent for my experience level.

In July I went to the CT Wine Festival with friends and spent most of the summer relaxing. I started a semester of classes at Norwalk Community College in September which included “Business Administration Software” and “Graphic Design I”. My idea was to get better with computer programs that might help my career and I improved my skills a lot (check off one of my resolutions from last year). I took a self-defense class with the Greenwich Police Department in October and went on Untapped Cities’ Central Park Tour. In November I went to QuickBooks Training and learned about how best to utilize the software, plus I did my civic duty and voted. In December I visited Cape Cod with some friends, it was dreary and wet all weekend, but we had a great time together.

Resolutions for 2018:

1. Write Year-in-review post for 2018 before the year is over. (If I don’t succeed at this the second attempt I’ll give up and consider it a lost cause)
2. Redesign website
3. Learn rudimentary sewing (so that when I rip my clothes I can fix them myself)
4. Read 100 books this year, and finish more of the books I own

All told it was a solid year of growth and learning for me. I don’t yet know where the paths I’ve started on will take me, but I think I am going in a good direction. On that note, I will end with the wisdom of Mr. Frost on the subject of choosing your path. Though apparently, the mainstream interpretation of that poem isn’t what Mr. Frost had in mind when he wrote it. Food for thought, though I won’t know which interpretation will hold true to my life until later.

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost, 1874 – 1963
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

References:

Frost, Robert. “The Road Not Taken.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 23 Feb. 2017, http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/road-not-taken.