Year 2: Winter Break Week 2 (Dec. 26, 2016-Jan.1, 2017) Part 2

2016: Fuck you and Thank you

I'm gonna steal something I got from the wall of my best friend:

"I learned all things come in two's. Life and death. Pain and joy. Salt and sugar.
Me and you. It is the balance of the universe."
-rupi kaur

2016 has been a year of incredible life challenges: finding my first apartment, moving in, learning to cook (and basically fend for myself), visiting home for the first time after a year of living abroad, dealing with domestic problems (including landlord and roommates), dealing with bed bugs (in New York City!), the death of my hero, an apartment of three colleagues burning, a friend falling with a collapse of a second-floor terrace, Trump winning, second year at Juilliard, etcetera, etcetera.

But it was because of all these things, not in spite of them, that 2016 became also a year of incredible growth. When I look back on who I was at the beginning of 2016 and who I am now, I am filled with awe on the transformation of my internal landscape. My most earnest mentors have constantly told me that my anchor is within me. I think I am slowly beginning to understand what that means. I'm still in the muck of investigating a number of things, but even having the strength to investigate them could be something.

And so I say, fuck you 2016 for all the shit you've put me through. On the other hand, thank you for showing me how strong I could be.

Onward.

New Year, New Journal