Better in Time - Leona Lewis

A much delayed reflection on the past semester/2011.
What a year it's been, only a year & a half left of classes; only two & a half years left until the board exams. Fingers crossed.

The ending of P1 year was typical: procrastinating, barely pulling through classes, lots of nonschool activities. The summer was busy at first juggling pharmacokinetics w/ the start of my internship + having somewhat of a life. Overall, extremely enjoyable summer w/ a few trips to Grand Haven & Northern MI. Not to mention, a job offer, new friends, & some lazy days off. Perfect summer.
This past semester can be put down in the books as the one from hell. Underperformance in school, moping out of school, & a few health related issues in my family really challenged me. I definitely didn't handle it the best way possible but I'm still here.

Last year wasn't filled w/ quite as much growth as the 2010 though I think that will apply to the next few years too. Nevertheless, I still have been shaped by great & not so great experiences. All the bad makes the good so much sweeter, that much has been proven in the last few days.
Going into 2012 feels like I'm at a big personal crossroad in the way I treat myself as well as others. I've gotten a lot better at voicing what I want and standing up for myself which I'm proud of but I still have to kick some habits. In example, I feel this tug to get into a relationship- most likely since for the last five years I've been involved w/ some guy w/ maybe a week or so in between (the last semester being an exception). Subconsciously I find myself assessing just about every guy I meet, measuring him up to my standards. I hate it. I've found that I love being single; not in the 'yay I get to mess around w/ whoever I want now!' way. So much more independence and I don't have to coordinate my day w/ some one else or constantly be checked in, worry about some one else's feelings, be smothered, worry about cooking meals we'll both like, etc. It's so nice being on my own. Yet, I have that inevitable pull back to tying myself down. Part of that has to be our natural 'wiring' (as my dad puts it) but I think a big part of it for me is a false sense of dependence.

Basic goals for the new year:
- Better time management. That means: more quality time spent studying, AKA actually studying & at least a half hour of exercise a day
- Eat better. Less meals bought from restaurants etc & more balanced home cooked ones
- Save more. Ties in w/ eating better as food is my primary expense
- Be more patient.

Classes start in just under four days now and I'm ready. The last three weeks have been so transformative for my mental & physical well being. In the beginning I worked a ton so I have extra cash, hung out w/ friends, & then went to Traverse City, did some skiing, did a lot of reading (five books), went to Chicago w/ my best friend, had a great new year celebration, & got some arts & crafts completed which I bought in September. The arts & crafts, by the way, look awesome! I'll take a picture & post it later (:

Happy new year everyone! Time to archive the last 365 days (or so) & look forward to the next set. Make it count.