2019 Review & Plans for 2020!
Into the Unknown
The song title “Into the Unknown” from the new Frozen film accurately describes my feelings toward 2020. Before sharing some plans for2020, here is a glimpse of my 2019.
At the end of 2018, I chose to go back to school for a year and a half Master’s program. Part of the reason why I started graduate school was partially the result of being at a crossroads of not knowing what career I wanted to pursue. Additionally, I knew I wanted to go back to school to work toward my Master’s degree soon and I thought it was best to go back to school when I was still used to the rhythm of school. After my first year of working for a marketing firm, I chose to go back to get my Master’s in Marketing and looking back I am so glad I did.
2019 was my last two semesters of graduate school and in hindsight was a year that brought clarity and friendships which I am forever grateful.
Clarity
2019 was the year where I started to enjoy what I was working toward. I was working on my Master’s of Science in Marketing, taking intriguing classes and loved some of my professors. During grad school, I became a math tutor and I found it to be very rewarding. It was also the year I finally took the first steps toward this blog and photography. Two things I have been wanting to pursue for years (I went through my journal from 2017 and it said write your first blog post). So if anything I’ve learned the importance of simply starting. I recently finished a book called “The Third Door” which I will share more on another post but it asked to think, “what’s the worst that can happen?”. Once I realized even if I fail I’d still be better off than when I started, I took those first steps. I started to self-teach myself Adobe Lightroom and realized it is a black hole/time warp of possibilities for your photos but also a game changer. Lastly, it was the year I purchased my domain name: thecurlyview.com and I am so excited to share more.
Friendships
Some of my friends I met during graduate school at theUniversity of Texas at Dallas taught me so much. One, I am simply grateful to have met such talented, intelligent and kind people but also learned anything is possible from them. A lot of my friends were international students who were pursuing their Master’s Degree not only in a foreign country but also in their second language. I studied Spanish on and off for 8 years during High School and Undergraduate School and know firsthand how hard it is to master a language. They inspire me and always will. They were also some of the kindest people I have met and am so grateful to know them.
Additionally as you get older, you cherish those friends who support you in all you do. Choosing to try new things becomes easier when you have people who support or guide you along the way and I want to personally thank all of those people.
In addition to finishing my Master’s Degree and working part time, I was able to travel to San Francisco, Sacramento and Portland (for my cousin’s wedding). I went to multiple weddings for both dear friends and family. Something about weddings makes you nostalgic on the years past and also makes you grateful for those closest to you. I attended graduation ceremonies for both my cousin during the summer and my own in December. As usual, time went by so quickly… I still remember thinking I still had a full year of graduate school left and now it’s over just as fast. I’m hoping all of you had a great 2019 and will have an even better 2020!
Some favorites of 2019: (One of my favorite bloggers did a favorites recap. I always enjoy reading others so here is mine.)
Favorite Trip: Day trip to San Francisco- it was cold, windy oh and wet but luckily only for part of the day but all in all was a lot of fun.
Alamo Square with my family
Our Golden Gate Bridge photo
The Painted Ladies
Favorite Book: The Radical Sabbatical by Emma Rosen- based on the title it sounds like a gap year full of travel, although there was a little travel it was based on the author Emma’s year of trying 25 different jobs before she turned 25. Ironically, I read it right after I turned 24 in August and admired her idea of trying different jobs in favor of career exploration. She touches on the benefits but also the downsides of school and how it doesn’t properly prepare students to know what they want to do. She is also a supporter of a portfolio career which I think will become more relevant in the years to come. Click here for a link to her blog 25before25.
Best Purchase: My Kindle! I asked for one for Christmas and I love it. I’ve already read two books on it!! You can also highlight as you read and it compiles all of them to one place so you can revert to them later (click here for the link to view highlights/notes).
Favorite book quote: (or maybe favorite 5) All from TheThird Door by Alex Banayan
“Many timesthe hardest part about achieving a dream isn’t actually achieving it—it’sstepping through your fear of the unknown when you don’t have a plan. Having ateacher or boss tell you what to do makes life a lot easier. But nobodyachieves a dream from the comfort of certainty.”
“Luck is likea bus,” he told me. “If you miss one, there’s always the next one. But ifyou’re not prepared, you won’t be able to jump on.”
“You can’tget an A if you’re afraid of getting an F,” Quincy added. “It’s amazing, thepsychology of growing in your field, no matter what you do. Growth comes frommistakes. You have to cherish them, so you can learn from them. Your mistakesare your greatest gift.”
“I’d alwaysseen success and failure as opposites, but now I could see they were justdifferent results of the same thing—trying. I swore to myself that from now onI would be unattached to succeeding, and unattached to failing. Instead, Iwould be attached to trying, to growing.”
“Do it so youcan admire yourself for trying.”
Best Realization: Success is relative and looks differentlythrough each lens. Additionally, to never give up since there will always be aThird Door.
Plans for 2020:
Continue working on this blog- “Everybody has experiences in their lives,” he added. “Some choose to make them into stories.” -Alex Banyan, The Third Door
Continue to pursue photography