Retrospect: January

Mission Log:

It's pretty hard to believe that we've already completed the first month of 2018. New Year's Eve remains so vivid in my mind that it still feels like it was last night. If you've been following my blog since its creation, you might recall that the design has been revamped a few times, so naturally, entering the new year, it was time to bring the blog up to date with my current style.

The New Year not only brought new ambitions and hopes, but new projects and experiences.

1) This year, I'm working on finishing up a project that I started late last year, which is a book of poems. It will be a series of self-portraits told through poetry, covering periods of my life from childhood, the present, and even some of the projected future.

2) Last December, I decided to discover new (to me, at least) music that I'm unfamiliar with. So this year (and potentially every year from now on), I will create a playlist on Spotify each month. The requirement is at least one new song added every day. This will keep me listening to new stuff constantly. If you're interested in following my musical adventures, follow me on Spotify!

3) Along with starting the spring semester at Pfeiffer University, I have started my new job on campus! I now work as a writing consultant in our on-campus writing center. Not only will this give me experience in tutoring, but will also help prepare me for my future career.

4) Not only do I plan on searching out new music, but I also plan to seek out new experiences. I started the year off right by going roller-skating with my cousin, Emma. I may have fallen many times and was plenty sore for the next few days, but it was worth it. We went to the North Carolina Museum of Art the next day. I say shamelessly that there were tears in my eyes upon finding paintings by Monet, and Emma and I completely freaked when we turned a corner only to be faced with a massive painting by Gerhard Richter. We went back to the museum a couple days later to see a fashion exhibition that was free for students that night.

My main message and goal for 2018 then, is this: Extend yourself beyond your normal routine of life to experience life in new ways. Start each day with fresh eyes, as if you've never seen the world around you before. In the words of Jack Kerouac in his book, The Dharma Bums, "Believe that the world is an ethereal flower and ye live."

Until next time, my friends, live fearlessly.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: U.F.O.F.

Mission Log:
Image
photo by Michael Buisha In the one-month wake of Big Thief's latest release, their third studio album, U.F.O.F., I would like to take a moment to talk about the band's direction with this album, track by track commentary, and what it might mean for their future albums. First off, as I started listening to this album upon its release, I wasn't quite sure what I thought at first, yet I find myself compelled to continue listening to the album, over and over again. Big Thief is one my favorite names in the indie scene, and I hoped this album wouldn't disappoint. A little less reliance on distinctive, solid melodies than prior albums, it allows the melody to play and wander. Exploratory in nature, which could be the overall tone of the album. Without anymore delay, let's get into the album. photo by Dustin Condren 1. Contact Great start to the album, atmospheric and surreal, perhaps one of the most polished tracks they've put out (polished meaning fol...
Read more

Willow

Mission Log:
I love everything about her. Not in any cliche way, For she contains both love and cruelty. So warm and inviting, Yet harsh and unyielding As a fierce sea, I both love her, and fear her - I revere her. Unshakable as the mountains, Yet moved by subtle drop of rain, She is both Yin and Yang.
Read more

Sparrow

Mission Log:
Image
I am the sparrow. Small, fragile, I endure My pain is my migration Of which there is no end. I stay nervous, low to the ground As I try to get what I need. Seed, my stomach quivers As I flit from the air to the leaves And back again. I need my flock, so I know when to turn In flight, else my wings fumble And fold, as I dive Down to the trees to catch my breath I am stifled. I am the sparrow. I would fly but my wings won't work -- I am my cage. My mind inhibits me from flight. I hop from one branch to another Everywhere all at once, And I lose track too quickly Listening to my friends and lover speaking But I am everywhere all at once My mind is hopping from one branch to another The cycle, summer, winter, summer -- Happiness, hollow, happiness -- And I migrate. Back and forth North and South Winter and summer Hollow and happy, My migration is my pain. Back and forth, one branch to another I repeat -- Actions, thoughts, feelings, All in cycles T...
Read more