2019. Where do I even begin…I would have to say 2019 is my favorite year of life so far. It was a year of love, living life to the fullest, personal growth, and making memories to last forever. I started last year off in kind of a mess. I was totally out of shape physically and just not in the best mindset mentally either. I literally just laid around all the time and didn’t have the motivation to do much of anything. I was beginning to realize that changes needed to be made.
Early January was spent on a surprise trip to Baltimore and DC. Then the first week of February was spent in Steamboat Springs, CO skiing and teaching myself probability and statistics. That month my life took a turn. On that trip it really, like really, hit me that I was out of shape. I cried multiple times that trip because the activity I had enjoyed for 7-8 years was now physically hurting me. I got home and got into the gym, started eating better, and even gave up sugar for the full 40 days of Lent. Then came March, when I made the decision to go to CofC. In April, I was finally seeing my hard work pay off. Three weeks before prom, I decided I actually did want to go, so I went spontaneous dress shopping and realized how much progress I’d made to get back in shape. I was looking better and feeling better. Getting my braces off 2 days before prom really helped my self-esteem, too. The weather was warmer and my mood was brighter. Gradually, I was starting to do more than sit around and watch Netflix.
May came, and I had my last day of high school, and while I do miss some aspects of it… jk actually, I don’t miss high school at all! By this point I was HAPPY. I was looking forward to spending summer by the pool, traveling, and making memories with my besties before August. I got my diploma in June, and looking at the pictures from that day, I seem like a totally different person then I was just five months prior. Two weeks later, I was at orientation for the Fall semester at the College and registering for the classes that I had been planning to take for weeks. I then flew alone for the first time from Columbia, SC to South Dakota to meet up with my grandparents to begin our month-long Shirley Super Summer Vacation. From SD to Vancouver to Alaska, it was a trip with so many memories, laughs, and adventure. Holy crap, do I have a heart meant to travel or what?
And then there was August. Oh, August. The hardest and most exciting month. I cried a lot this month…I wasn’t so much worried about not being at home anymore, but I was constantly wondering what living four hours away would do to my friendships and how would I get along with my roommate and suitemates. How would I make new friends? Was I making the right decision? I’m forever grateful for the friends who made it so hard to leave, but who also supported me the whole way. Thank you everyone for listening to me talk about Charleston non-stop (I have yet to shut up), helping me pack, and reassuring me as I unexpectedly cried (again) the night before I left. That said, I have some pretty awesome people living around me and in those first few weeks of the next four years, I made some amazing friends.
To talk about the rest of the year would be like writing a novel. This article is already WAY longer than I anticipated, so if you are still reading, thank you, and if you aren’t, well, this is for me to look back on anyway!
September brought inclement weather and my first ever “hurrication” and Abby home with us for the week. College friend meets home friends… Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana anyone? Remember how I said I was HAPPY in all capitals back in May? I was double that happy now. Classes were going well. I finally feel like I’m doing something with my life. In October, I got a lot closer with my people and after going home for Fall break I knew distance wasn’t going to change my relationships at home. I felt at home at school, too. That’s a pretty great feeling. In November, I fully realized how my mental and physical health had improved, I actually had a decent amount of self confidence again, and my grades were pretty great too.
Then there was December and finals. That was an intense week. I lived in the library for a few days, had a couple mental breakdowns, but again it was full of memories! Then I was home for a month and spent well-deserved time doing nothing and being bored!
2019. Lots of memories. Lots of laughs. 2 countries.10 states.
I’m going into 2020, happy, healthy, surrounded by people I love and who love me back, and ready to live it up.