Goodbye 2017

Photo by Adam Birkett

Looking back, I viewed 2017 in a negative light. And I was right to a certain extent. Trump proved to be a jackass by banning trans people from enlisting in the military (thankfully that's been repealed). Threatening some Vietnamese immigrants with deportation even though they're protected under an agreement made back in 2008 between the U.S. and Vietnam that allows those who came to the U.S. before 1995 to stay even if they have deportation orders. As well as, taking away the DACA program, and other measures. It also didn't help that 2016 wasn't a good year for me personally, so that helped shape my view of what I thought 2017 was going to be.
However, this year I learned a lot. I learned about the incredible solidarity and human empathy people can have for each other. I learned just how powerful money can speak in this world, whether it's used for good or bad. And how small and kind of pity my problems are in the grand scheme of the universe, and how humbling that is.
2017 was a year of growth and getting better (or at least trying). Whether it was drinking more water, trying out the bullet journal system, finding out my sleep schedule, getting out of my comfort zone, etc. Overall, trying to find out what works for me and what didn't.
I've also had a lot of amazing opportunities this year from being an editor over at the Stay Bookish zine (link) to being a treasurer for AASA. From being a secretary for VASA to being an unexpected dog owner. And honestly, yes it's a lot of hard work and quite stressful at times, but it's been pretty fun, and I wouldn't trade in those experiences for anything else in the world.
To be honest, I didn't expect myself to travel quite a bit more this year. Whether it was to Arizona, Washington, or even Colorado where along the way I've met quite a medley of people who still help me continue to grow to this day. I've also met an interesting group of people in Utah and connected more with some of the people I've already known.
And I know that it sounds cheesy when I say that I wouldn't change anything (well maybe a few parts, I'm still a bit of a perfectionist) but overall, it's been a good year for me personally. Yeah, there are a few bumps along the way, and truth be told I'm not in the greatest place mentally right now, but I still wouldn't trade it in for anything the whole world, even Hamilton tickets. Hopefully, 2018 will be just as okay.

And now the weather:
Stargazing by Kygo ft. Justin Jesso

 ~ Stacy N.

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Goodbye 2016

Photo by Lukas Budimaier
Font is Nella Sue

Funny how a lot can happen in a year, I’m officially in my twenties; I ended up liking someone that I think I have a chance of dating (if only we weren’t so nerdy and studied all the time);  I’m socializing more and I don't feel as drained when I'm finished hanging out with them; I find myself writing creatively more often outside of November; I’m blogging more this year; my Vietnamese is getting a bit better; I got a tattoo; I’m happier, sadder, more scared, and angry because of world events like the Pulse club shooting, Trump’s election, and Aleppo*; my grandma unfortunately died; I didn’t end up participating in Nanowrimo this year due to personal reasons (*coughcoughcollegeworkandfinalsandallthatcoughcough*); and I find myself more involved in college groups like the undergraduate literary magazine at my school.

It feels good and weird and sad knowing how much I've done this year and how much I haven't done. And it's hard to know if I did accomplish my New Year's resolution this year. I mean being a better person is pretty vague, but I think I did become a slightly better person. I mean I'm better at catching myself whenever I think or say problematic stuff, though I still need a lot of work. It's also harder to feel happy considering everything that has happened both personally and around the world. And honestly, I think it's just going to go down from here before getting a bit better. But my little optimistic side can't help but feel glad that a new year is coming because it means that this year is finally coming to an end.

Sorry for being a downer. Have a good one and let's hope that next year won't suck as much.

And now the weather:
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen cover by Pentatonix

*If you have the time and money, please consider donating to at least one of five charities here.

~ Stacy N.

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Goodbye 2015

Text reads: Goodbye 2015

Dear last year,
Goodbye 2015. It has been a crazy ride from graduating high school to starting college. To getting my first part-time job to visiting my family in California that I haven’t seen in forever. From unexpected lows to unbelievable highs. And all the in-betweens. It’s been one weird year that I will surely not forget in a while.
So thank you. Without that year, I wouldn’t have grown as a person.

And now the weather:
Uma Thurman by Fall Out Boy

~ Stacy N.

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Goodbye 2014

Text reads: goodbye 2014
picture source by So-ghislain

2014 seems like forever ago. But now it’s the very last day of the year and I’m surprised to feel this kind of sadness in my heart. Despite all the turmoil that’s been going on in my life as well as around the world, I kind of liked it. I was happy. But that seems kind of incomparable to all the sadness, stress, worry, tiredness, procrastination, anger, and bad mistakes that I made this year. But like any human being, I learned from them, to a certain extent.

I learned to never date guys who aren’t feminists. I learned that it is definitely better to keep the mean stuff to yourself instead of saying it to another person (because that can cause a lot of trouble). I learned that putting on makeup is a very hard thing to do, except for lipstick. I learned that I like ballroom dancing and analyzing what I’m reading and the book Crime and Punishment. I learned that I still like writing romantic stuff. I learned that saying thank you can go a long way. I learned that I really like skiing. I also learned that selfies are quite fun. I also learned that it’s sometimes better to go with the flow, to avoid conflict. I also learned to like myself a bit more. And despite everything, I shouldn’t be too hard on myself because I’m growing up and still learning about everything around me. (Yet, that will probably not stop me from being too hard on myself). There are of course other things that I learned, but I’m not willing to indulge in those.

2014 has also been a year of wants. Wanting to change my look. Wanting to cuddle with someone. Wanting justice to be served. Wanting to stop being sad. Wanting to be empty. Wanting something, anything.

And in general 2014 has just been a bad year, a progressive year, a year full of new music, a year about learning more about myself, and a kind of good year.  

And despite a few bad bumps along the way, this year was worth it. Though, I don’t think I did well on my New Year’s Resolutions for this year. But from looking at the list, I think I did pretty okay.

• For three or four times a week, write for at least 15 minutes.
• Save money.
• Find a job.
• Volunteer.
• Turn in at least one scholarship application.
• Study for the ACTs.
• Read at least twenty-four books this year.
• Work harder in school
• Get my driver’s license.
• Once a week, write a random sentence in French.
• Write a blog post on my little talks, at least once per month.
• For once a week, do something nice for someone else. Even if it is pretty small.
• Take better care of myself.
• Help out around the house more often.

Note: bold means that I kind of did it. And strikethrough means that I actually did it.

And now the weather:

Dreaming by Smallpools

Style by Taylor Swift (Slightly nsfw-ish because it's the one from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show)

Story of My Life by One Direction

Bars & Mixed Drinks by Emma Shepard

Be Okay by Ingrid Michaelson

Begin Again by Taylor Swift

Blank Space by Taylor Swift

Pretty Little Head by Eliza Rickman

Glory Days by Betty Who

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

So What by P!nk

- Stacy N.

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Another goodbye post, but this time to the year 2013.

Text reads: goodbye 2013
Picture source

2013 has been almost a surreal year for me, from saying goodbye to some of my friends for the last time to seeing the Jazz win the basketball game against the Charlotte Bobcats, with a lot of things happening before that and in between. It was also the year where I started to appreciate myself more. And say hey, I am pretty even though I may not look like it according to society’s standard. Even though, society’s standard on beauty and many other things are impossible to accomplish, in my opinion.

This was also the year when I started to really learn how unfair the world is. But at the same time how beautiful it is as well. The world is unfair because there are a bunch of male politicians who does not own vaginas, making rules about how women should operate their body. Or how bad the United States education system is. But at the same time the world is beautiful because of all the little things that people do to make it better for someone else. And how, beautiful street art and many other various forms of art are. And there’s probably more, but that can be in an another post next year.

2013 was also the year when indecision really set in making me question about what I really want to do with my future. Do I really want to become a published author? Do I really want to have a major in business/accounting? Do I really want to stay in the middle of every little thing, constantly swaying this way or that?

 It was also an unlucky year for my writing. As stories and poetry seemed unwilling to enter my brain, much alone my fingers. However, if they were written down, it was most likely for school or forced out in an unnatural way. In fact, the only exception to this was nanowrimo, and that turned out pretty well. But since it is now the end of the year, I’m slowly trying to produce something new. Which turns out to be poetry that’s mainly about someone else in my life.

This was also a fun year, by going to places that I would not expect myself to end up at. Like the zoo in winter or even to a bookstore with a creepy basement. Or to many other places that has happened by random. I also didn’t expect myself to do some unexpected things like watch random chick flicks on television all because I was bored or even ask anyone to go to the winter formal with me. (It was also pretty surprising when he said yes).

And well, 2013 turned out to be an awesome year.  Sure there was some pain and anger and emptiness with a dash of creepiness mixed in. Also add in the fact that there was some other negativity involved. However, that cannot be avoided no matter how hard I try to avoid it. Plus there was also all the smiles, laughter, joy, happiness, and relaxation, as well as all the other positivity to take into account.

So, all in all, I hope that 2014 will be a better and hopefully even more amazing year, however stressful it will be.

                And now the final results of my New Year’s resolutions from earlier this year.

*bold - I have done it for a short while. 

• Write two sentences every day- one sentence that is fictional and story like (to help inspire me to write stories/poetry). The other sentence, will describe what I did during the day (to reflect and to remember it in the future [just in case]) [That went well for the first half of the year]
• Finish writing a book or two [this year hasn't been well for my writing]
• Help around the house more often.
• Learn how to drive.
• Get my driver’s license
• Do one active ‘exercise’ at least once a week. (I’m pretty sure that I will fail this one, but it’s good to try anyways)
• Read at least 52 books (a book per week) [I ended up reading at least 41]
• For at least once a week, write a post on Sweets Galore.
• Design a new theme for my blog
• Figure out the why-did-I-choose-this-name behind the name Sweets Galore.
• Work harder in school
• Apply for at least one scholarship this year.
• Once a week, do something nice for somebody. [In truth, I haven’t really kept track] 

Music:

What it Takes by Jack Campbell

You and Me by Lifehouse

Absentee by Jack Campbell

"Summer Girl" by Jonas & Plunkett (Song was originally featured in Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy)

~ Stacy N.

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Goodbye 2012

2012, in a way, felt like the shortest year for me. In fact, all I can really remember about it is the 'end of the world', Kony, too much time on tumblr, writing, reading, and my birthday. However, I also remember other bits and pieces of 2012 as well, such as the time in my ninth grade English class that my teacher made us sit in a circle to talk about Night by Elie Wiesel. I also remember other memories of that ninth grade English class, however the memories seem to be a bit more recent, meaning that I cannot remember much before 2012 started.

The same thing happens to other non-2012 memories as well; they soon are forgotten as newer memories start to bury them even deeper into the vast contents of my brain. The memories become dusty, having a very small chance of ever being remembered again. The only way, I (or anybody really) can remember forgotten memories is if they are recorded in some way. Whether it may be a journal that I wrote, someone else remembering it, one of my yearbooks, pictures, etc. And it doesn’t matter if it is the most amazing memory that I would remember forever or the most horrible memory that I will kick out of my mind, if I had the chance.

This leads me to my next point of ‘conversation’. For all 365 days of 2013, I shall write two sentences. One sentence will be completely fictional and story like, it’s to help encourage me to write stories whether it is on paper or in the brain. The other sentence will describe my day, so I can remember my life. The reason for this is simply to remember my life, so I can draw inspiration from it as I write my stories. Plus, I think it will be fun in a way, as I laugh on the last day of 2013, about some of the silly things I will do in the upcoming year. And it also might help me accomplish my 2013 New Year’s resolutions.

Speaking of New Year resolutions, remember that post that has some of my 2012 resolutions. Well, it now ended up looking like this. 

*bold - I have done it for a short while. 

• Write everyday (Camp Nanowrimo counts in my book)
•    Read everyday (read at least 90 books this year) (only read 79 out of 90 books)
•    Get on the internet less often
•    Spend more time with family (mainly because the internet started to get a bit boring)
•    Sleep at a normal time
•    Eat healthier
•    Learn how to drive
•   Write on my blog nearly every day
•   Work harder in school (pretty self-explanatory here)
•    Stop procrastinating
•    Do something active (it was mainly for school). 
•   Write a complete novel (before June 30)  (Immortality Doesn't Exist) 

Well, I feel a bit ashamed to say that I only completed two of them, and kind of did four of them throughout the year. However, it is better than not completing a single one, in my opinion. Hopefully, next year will be better.

Happy New Years to the people on the other side of the world and Happy New Years eve to everyone who’s time zone hasn’t reached or passed 12 AM. And have a year that you at least like. 

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