2020
It’s December 31st, 2019. Tomorrow marks the New Year. 2020.
I haven’t been as reflective this year as I like, so now seems like a great time to put some
attention into my intentions. 2019 was a lot. It held challenges, excitement, gratitude, and lots of learning. To recap, I started my Masters in Higher Education degree at Drexel University.
It’s online, flexible, and exactly what I needed at this point in my life while I am working full-time and
going back for my masters. I traveled to 15 states and countless cities this year (some multiple times).
Some for work and some for pleasure. Minnesota, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
New York, Washington, Florida, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and D.C.
No overseas travel this year, so we’ll see if that makes the list for next. This summer, I attended two music festivals: Firefly and Made in America.
Saw Lizzo perform live and was merely rows away from her.
Went to the beach. Swam in pools. Went camping. Kayaking.
Road Tripped with a friend to attend another friend’s bachelorette party in Asheville, NC.
Attended the same friend’s wedding in Lexington, KY. I helped host one of Bonner’s national conferences at my alma mater, Centre College.
It was a treat to share my Centre world (friends, alumni, professors, staff, community partners,
former students) with my Foundation/national Bonner world.
I feel immense gratitude to everyone who helped make it a success.
I also helped host three other conferences last year, all of which felt successful to me. I supervised and grew to know six outstanding young student leaders, who were the
Foundation Summer Interns. I had no idea these individuals would be such a highlight of my year
but indeed they were. I look forward to the next cohort of interns, although they have big shoes to fill. While much of my year was spent traveling and finding my groove at my new job
(I guess after a year, I can’t say new job anymore, huh?),
I also tried rooting myself in my Jersey home.
In my apartment, I move to the upstairs room, which at first I wasn’t keen on
(no one else in the house wanted the room. I’ll just say it carpet... )
but it turned out to be what I didn’t know I wanted or needed.
I basically have my own loft now and I’m slowly continuing to make the space cozy and my own.
I’m a big fan and for maybe the first time in my life, I get excited to come home just to be in my room. I also did a good bit of backyard gardening with my boyfriend.
We planted yellow and zucchini squash, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, strawberries,
potatoes, carrots, lettuce, kale, green onions, garlic, several kinds of peppers,
countless herbs, and probably more I’m forgetting. Not everything produced well but the tomatoes,
squashes, and peppers were a hit and I feel that I’ve learned what works well and doesn’t for next year. I started going to yoga regularly for many months and then stopped going to yoga for many months
and I am okay with that. I cooked a lot. Tried some new foods. Hiked a fair bit. My family came to visit me. We spent time in Philly, NJ, and New York.
It was pretty special to share my life up here with them and be apart of many “firsts” for my family. Finally, one of the biggest aspects of my 2019 was diving deeper into my relationship
with my partner. We’re at the little over a year mark and let me say,
it hasn’t always been easy. As someone who’s always been pretty fiercely independent and self aware,
it was extremely challenging at times to let my guard down and really let someone in.
I am still wary of getting hurt but I’m proud of myself for being in the game.
I grew in my communication, understanding, patience, and compromise skills in ways
I would've never dreamed. I know I still have so much to learn - about myself, about relationships,
about myself in relationships. But I’m thankful for this time and this person who’s
willing to try figuring it out with me. For 2020, I hope to love myself more, trust myself more, and be kind to myself more.
I hope to not lose sight of who I am or my purpose. I hope to take advantage of opportunities.
Be and express gratitude relentlessly. I hope to discern what is for me and what is not for me.
I hope to have fun. Let go more. Enjoy. I hope to be outside a lot. I hope to find more community here
in Jersey and feel more at home. Thank you world and life for another year around the sun.
I hope to continue to be my best self and never lose sight of that. Peace to all. Liz
I haven’t been as reflective this year as I like, so now seems like a great time to put some
attention into my intentions. 2019 was a lot. It held challenges, excitement, gratitude, and lots of learning. To recap, I started my Masters in Higher Education degree at Drexel University.
It’s online, flexible, and exactly what I needed at this point in my life while I am working full-time and
going back for my masters. I traveled to 15 states and countless cities this year (some multiple times).
Some for work and some for pleasure. Minnesota, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware, Massachusetts, California, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
New York, Washington, Florida, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and D.C.
No overseas travel this year, so we’ll see if that makes the list for next. This summer, I attended two music festivals: Firefly and Made in America.
Saw Lizzo perform live and was merely rows away from her.
Went to the beach. Swam in pools. Went camping. Kayaking.
Road Tripped with a friend to attend another friend’s bachelorette party in Asheville, NC.
Attended the same friend’s wedding in Lexington, KY. I helped host one of Bonner’s national conferences at my alma mater, Centre College.
It was a treat to share my Centre world (friends, alumni, professors, staff, community partners,
former students) with my Foundation/national Bonner world.
I feel immense gratitude to everyone who helped make it a success.
I also helped host three other conferences last year, all of which felt successful to me. I supervised and grew to know six outstanding young student leaders, who were the
Foundation Summer Interns. I had no idea these individuals would be such a highlight of my year
but indeed they were. I look forward to the next cohort of interns, although they have big shoes to fill. While much of my year was spent traveling and finding my groove at my new job
(I guess after a year, I can’t say new job anymore, huh?),
I also tried rooting myself in my Jersey home.
In my apartment, I move to the upstairs room, which at first I wasn’t keen on
(no one else in the house wanted the room. I’ll just say it carpet... )
but it turned out to be what I didn’t know I wanted or needed.
I basically have my own loft now and I’m slowly continuing to make the space cozy and my own.
I’m a big fan and for maybe the first time in my life, I get excited to come home just to be in my room. I also did a good bit of backyard gardening with my boyfriend.
We planted yellow and zucchini squash, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, strawberries,
potatoes, carrots, lettuce, kale, green onions, garlic, several kinds of peppers,
countless herbs, and probably more I’m forgetting. Not everything produced well but the tomatoes,
squashes, and peppers were a hit and I feel that I’ve learned what works well and doesn’t for next year. I started going to yoga regularly for many months and then stopped going to yoga for many months
and I am okay with that. I cooked a lot. Tried some new foods. Hiked a fair bit. My family came to visit me. We spent time in Philly, NJ, and New York.
It was pretty special to share my life up here with them and be apart of many “firsts” for my family. Finally, one of the biggest aspects of my 2019 was diving deeper into my relationship
with my partner. We’re at the little over a year mark and let me say,
it hasn’t always been easy. As someone who’s always been pretty fiercely independent and self aware,
it was extremely challenging at times to let my guard down and really let someone in.
I am still wary of getting hurt but I’m proud of myself for being in the game.
I grew in my communication, understanding, patience, and compromise skills in ways
I would've never dreamed. I know I still have so much to learn - about myself, about relationships,
about myself in relationships. But I’m thankful for this time and this person who’s
willing to try figuring it out with me. For 2020, I hope to love myself more, trust myself more, and be kind to myself more.
I hope to not lose sight of who I am or my purpose. I hope to take advantage of opportunities.
Be and express gratitude relentlessly. I hope to discern what is for me and what is not for me.
I hope to have fun. Let go more. Enjoy. I hope to be outside a lot. I hope to find more community here
in Jersey and feel more at home. Thank you world and life for another year around the sun.
I hope to continue to be my best self and never lose sight of that. Peace to all. Liz
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