2011 has been a fast-paced emotional and creative rollercoaster for me: I moved from having my sophomore meltdown to being a fairly stable junior in college, I met my family for the first time, I made great strides in focusing on self-love and getting away from hurtful relationships; I cut off all my hair, created some of my greatest art pieces, and went to a bunch of amazing activist-y events to show my support. This year's been a big one.
Throughout, this blog has been a part of that experience - documenting my follies, triumphs, and experiments in between. It was only really this year that I started blogging again in earnest, and it's already time to reflect back on what a momentous year it's been. Tomorrow I'll be listing some of my favorite articles and pieces from 2011, but today is the retrospective of what got me here. So let's put on our traveling caps and take a momentary time shift through 2011!
Last January, I was in Bangladesh, meeting my family for the first time and experiencing an entirely different but miraculously familiar culture.
In February, I revamped my blog to its current look, (shiny new graphic design and all) and attended the first of the many rallies I would go to this year - the Stand Up for Women's Health Rally!
March had me writing some of my favorite posts, where I started formulating what direction I would take this blog in. Informational? Artistic? Lifestyle? I started experimenting with anything and everything - writing the posts that I needed in that moment for myself. I chipped away at the fear that I had of expressing strong opinions.
I got ramped up in April/May and pursued in earnest both my creative endeavors and my daily blogging - I was going to get serious at that point, moving away from the cold hard winter of my discontent and towards a more expressive and authentic life that included attending rad feminist events such as Ain't I A Woman? and writing about my Barnard experience. I also made the shift back to Seattle during this time - moving across the country in the short span of a few days.
June had the most blog posts (surprise!) and gave me a chance to test out the marketing skills I started reading up on during the beginning of summer. This was also when I started my amazing summer job with the Washington Bus, meeting inspiring people and learning to love my home city through attending events such as Seattle Pride and Zombie Walk.
July and August drew me down because I was working all day, every day. Literally. It was fulfilling and exciting, but tiring as hell. I made my first set of videos in this time on what progress means. I had to rejuvenate myself at the end of the whole process, but didn't get too much time before jumping into the new school semester - back to the East Coast with me!
September and November were amazing months for activist endeavors and getting my work together again - I moved into a new space and started working on my 10% cooler plan (a bucket list of everything I wanted to do in fall). I attended Slutwalk and Occupy Wall Street and read my work at Meet Me at the Race Riot and marched in a Troy Davis vigil. I made a zine tutorial. I tried to take in parts of the city outside academia and relish every moment.
October was a blast in between there where I worked on myself as much as possible, but didn't get a lot of blogging in in the meantime. It was my birthday month, however, so abruptly after October I chose to make a big style change with my hair and nose ring!
And finally, December. The point we're at now and that is fast closing upon us. Academics and creativity were competing all throughout this month - this month, I learned the importance of taking breaks. At this point, I look back on my year and see it for the wealth of life lessons and passion that it really is.
Now that we're finished rehashing the old, let's start celebrating the new! 2012 will be yet another ball of scary amazing experiences ready to burst forth - let's begin to make space for all the greatness to come.
Throughout, this blog has been a part of that experience - documenting my follies, triumphs, and experiments in between. It was only really this year that I started blogging again in earnest, and it's already time to reflect back on what a momentous year it's been. Tomorrow I'll be listing some of my favorite articles and pieces from 2011, but today is the retrospective of what got me here. So let's put on our traveling caps and take a momentary time shift through 2011!
Last January, I was in Bangladesh, meeting my family for the first time and experiencing an entirely different but miraculously familiar culture.
In February, I revamped my blog to its current look, (shiny new graphic design and all) and attended the first of the many rallies I would go to this year - the Stand Up for Women's Health Rally!
March had me writing some of my favorite posts, where I started formulating what direction I would take this blog in. Informational? Artistic? Lifestyle? I started experimenting with anything and everything - writing the posts that I needed in that moment for myself. I chipped away at the fear that I had of expressing strong opinions.
I got ramped up in April/May and pursued in earnest both my creative endeavors and my daily blogging - I was going to get serious at that point, moving away from the cold hard winter of my discontent and towards a more expressive and authentic life that included attending rad feminist events such as Ain't I A Woman? and writing about my Barnard experience. I also made the shift back to Seattle during this time - moving across the country in the short span of a few days.
June had the most blog posts (surprise!) and gave me a chance to test out the marketing skills I started reading up on during the beginning of summer. This was also when I started my amazing summer job with the Washington Bus, meeting inspiring people and learning to love my home city through attending events such as Seattle Pride and Zombie Walk.
July and August drew me down because I was working all day, every day. Literally. It was fulfilling and exciting, but tiring as hell. I made my first set of videos in this time on what progress means. I had to rejuvenate myself at the end of the whole process, but didn't get too much time before jumping into the new school semester - back to the East Coast with me!
September and November were amazing months for activist endeavors and getting my work together again - I moved into a new space and started working on my 10% cooler plan (a bucket list of everything I wanted to do in fall). I attended Slutwalk and Occupy Wall Street and read my work at Meet Me at the Race Riot and marched in a Troy Davis vigil. I made a zine tutorial. I tried to take in parts of the city outside academia and relish every moment.
October was a blast in between there where I worked on myself as much as possible, but didn't get a lot of blogging in in the meantime. It was my birthday month, however, so abruptly after October I chose to make a big style change with my hair and nose ring!
And finally, December. The point we're at now and that is fast closing upon us. Academics and creativity were competing all throughout this month - this month, I learned the importance of taking breaks. At this point, I look back on my year and see it for the wealth of life lessons and passion that it really is.
Now that we're finished rehashing the old, let's start celebrating the new! 2012 will be yet another ball of scary amazing experiences ready to burst forth - let's begin to make space for all the greatness to come.
