2009 didn’t really start on a great note for me. Although my first semester of college was great –maybe even close to perfect –my second semester, Spring 2009, had quite a few bumps along the road. Where Fall 2008 was full of new and exciting things as a college freshman, Spring 2009 was when I started to experience the academic stress, the homesickness, drama with friends, and even a rough breakup. On the other hand, I was very pleased to start off the semester by auditioning and becoming a music minor, and to my surprise I was even offered private flute lessons by NAU’s professor of flute! Despite the personal stress, I was very happy to become involved in music again, since I think it became one of my lesser priorities when I first arrived at NAU and was adjusting to college life. Spring 2009 also ended on a good note when I completed my semester-long rush process for Tau Beta Sigma, a sorority dedicated to serving the bands and promoting women in music. Also, throughout Spring 2009 I made new friends and even reconnected and/or reconciled with some old ones too. These friends ended up being people who I was able to turn to during many of the low points throughout the semester.
Not to mention, my niece Elisabeth Jo, or “Ellie,” was born on April 14th at 8 lbs. 8 oz. She was a wonderful addition to our small family out here in Arizona!
My summer vacation started off well. I enrolled at Glendale Community College for a summer Precalculus class, and also joined a summer flute choir that proved to be one of the most enjoyable ensembles I’ve ever participated in. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a job over the summer, since the economy was not doing so well, and still isn’t. I ended up working as a weekly volunteer at a St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen, and it became one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Not only did it feel great to serve my community, I learned so much about my own major as a student of Hotel and Restaurant Management. I think my most valuable lesson from that experience was the true meaning of the word “hospitality,” and I want to keep that idea in mind when I go out and begin my career someday.
I also had a wonderful vacation at the end of the summer. My mother, sister, and I flew to Washington D.C. (my third trip there) to meet with my dad, who was in the USA that week for meetings. We also went to Ohio afterwards to see my mother’s side of the family. Ohio was certainly a different pace from D.C., but it was great to spend time and reconnect with my family before returning home to Phoenix.
However, my summer did not go completely smoothly. I found myself in a couple of conflicts with others, and while one was quickly reconciled, the other took a heavy toll on me and took months for me to learn to forgive. But in the end things worked out.
That particular conflict stayed with me throughout the Fall 2009 semester, but besides that things began very well for me. I moved into an on-campus apartment with two of my dear friends, and it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for the three of us! I also enjoyed my first active semester as a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, and I even ended up running for Historian and enjoying the office very much. I also auditioned for and made NAU’s Symphonic Band, which I considered quite an accomplishment for not being a music major. And although I took 21 credit hours, I was able to keep my stress levels low, manage my time well, and even pull off good grades!
I also began my study abroad process, and was surprised to find the intensive application process to be time consuming. At times it was frustrating, because when you, your own school, and another school are involved, communication between all parties is essential, especially when crossing those cultural lines.
Although throwing myself into such a busy schedule kept my mind off of personal issues, it also separated me from others. I found it difficult to make time for my friends, and even when I did I was too exhausted from my long days to make the effort. And again, like my summer, the Fall 2009 also ended on a sour note when a brief relationship went south. However, I quickly learned to move on and entered into my Winter 2009 break with my focus on the road ahead.
Despite being turned down for one internship, I finally secured a fulltime internship at a nearby Embassy Suites property with a reputable event planning department. Also over the break I’ve been busy spending time with my friends and family. Some of my sisters from out of town, who I haven’t seen in years, came to visit over the break, and although our dad could not join us this year, our Christmas was a very happy one surrounded by family.
As I reflect back on 2009, I realize there were lots of high points, but also many lows as well. But I also know that I learned something about the world or about myself with each bump in the road. At times I think back to where I was one year ago and can’t even recognize that person, since the personal growth I’ve undergone this year has been tremendous. Of course, I was unable to write down everything that has happened to me this year, but what I did seems to be the most significant memories that stand out and have affected me the most.
I enter 2010 with my eyes focused solely on the future. I look forward to starting off not only a new year but a new decade abroad in China, and I expect my personal growth to astound me further as I learn more about myself and about life in general. I’m at a point in my life where the world is not longer black and white, but rather I am beginning to understand the world’s subtleties. My goal for 2010 is to be open to change and accept new ideas and challenges. My hope is to take what I learned in 2009 and apply them to the problems I am sure to meet in 2010.
I remember on January 1, 2009 I was very hopeful, but very naive, about how the year would turn out. I did not in any way expect what I would be facing that year. But January 1, 2010 is different, and I know the year ahead will be full of obstacles and frustrations, but this time I am a year older, a year wiser, and a year more prepared to face them and succeed.
Looking ahead to 2010,
Kati
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