The Retrospective is my monthly recap where I share blog highlights, where I’ve been, and the behind-the-scenes bits that didn’t make it onto the blog. Check out last month’s edition right here.
I didn’t write much on the blog during September, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a lot on my mind. Anyway, I figure this kind of post is great to sort of play “catch-up” on what I haven’t shared and so it kind of works as like, a gazillion posts in one.
In this post, I cover: the wrap-up of my summer bucket list, turning 28, visiting California, meeting Wendy Williams, an update on my thesis, and also my goals for next month. YAY!
Where did I go in September?
- San Francisco Bay Area
What did I write in September?
My Summer Bucket List
Considering that the end of September marked the official end of summer, I think it’s only fitting to do a final update about My Summer Bucket List.
When I made the list, I knew it was ambitious and that it was likely that I wouldn’t hit everything. I’m the kind of person who likes making lists and brainstorming ideas, but execution isn’t my forte.
I’m not personally disappointed with what I accomplished, though it’s a lot less than I imagined. I think that this list did teach me the difference between really wanting to do things because they sound fun and trying to force yourself to do things because they “should” be fun. It helped me to see that if I really, really want to do something, I don’t need a list to remind me to do it.
I think the main reason I made the list was to make myself see what other people saw in Michigan or maybe what I even used to see. But you can’t force yourself to love a place, no matter how hard you try — and if I’m honest, I didn’t really even have much of a desire to try. On the upside: I did enjoy taking my History of Michigan class over the summer! 
Anyway, of the things I put on my initial list, here’s what I completed:
- Visit Ann Arbor
- Visit Grand Haven (Coast Guard)
- Visit Holland (
Tulip Time) (or, in time to see the tulips still!) - Visit Frankenmuth
- Go on a few road trips
- Go to Colorado for my friend Meghan’s wedding
- Go to Ohio for family reunion
- Go to Upstate NY
- Go to Indiana for Backstreet Boys concert with Claudia
Turning 28
This month, I also turned 28. It’s so weird because I’m trying to even remember what I did? Oh yes, I went out to dinner with Tyler and he got me some super thoughtful gifts, including an iPad mini! I love that little thing! Perfect for reading (and I did lots of reading of Mark Reads The Hunger Games this past month).
Anyway, it was one of the first birthdays where the transition seemed seamless. Normally, it takes me a while to remember my age — “I’m 26 — oops, I mean, 27!” And normally, I do a lot of reflection or whatever. But this year, it was like, “I’m 28.” And I felt it and it just was.
When I was little, I used to think that 28 was so old… and that 28 meant having everything in your life together and knowing everything. Now, as an adult, I realize that you can never have everything together all the time or know everything, but I will say that I feel more deeply comfortable in my own skin. It’s hard to explain because it always seems like I’m having existential crises, but I think my level of acceptance of myself has expanded. I think when I was comfortable in my skin before, it’s because I had the validation of the people around me to confirm it. The older I get, the less I need that and the more I can get it from myself. (This is still a work in progress, of course!)
Visiting California
It’s been more than a year since I’ve been back to my childhood hometown, though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Although I initially had plans to come for my 10-year high school reunion, I actually came for some stuff with my mom’s health. I didn’t know what to expect coming out here and things got scheduled and rescheduled again… more tests with more non-conclusive results. We’re not sure what any of this means, but I am grateful for the time to spend with her, the conversations, the food, the laughter and the minimal bickering, haha.
It was also good to see a couple of friends from high school. I got together with my best high school sidekick, Linda, and she took me to a viewing party for Beyonce and Jay-Z’s HBO concert special: On The Run. The most fun part was the snacking and watching Yonce’s entire visual album and singing along before the concert started (not to mention the stop at Trader Joe’s… love that place). I think singing the loudest makes you the Beyonce of the group, or at least, that’s what I told myself.
I also went to Japanese food and the Premium Outlets with my friend Chris, who was a French class buddy for many years. (We even were co-presidents of the short-lived French club!) We reminisced about our French teacher, who was so strict but also so in love with France. That woman instilled the most solid foundation in us so that there’s no way we could ever forget the basics of French.
But I have to admit — speaking about high school French got me to thinking about France again. It’s been four years since I was leaving to teach for a year in France — I cannot believe it! And I miss it all the time. I have this pattern where I go back to Europe pretty much every four years and I feel like that growing itch is needing to be scratched. I have no idea how, when, or for how long… but, sigh, a little France in my life would be very nice.
Wendy Williams at the SF Women’s Expo
So, one cool thing I’ve done while here is go to this event called The San Francisco Ultimate Women’s Expo with my mom and her friend Joyce. It was a bunch of booths featuring women-focused products, but we were there especially for Wendy Williams’ appearance. In case you’re not familiar with Wendy Williams, she is a talk show host and celebrity gossip guru. Her talk show actually airs in 52 countries around the world and she has decades of experience in radio as well.
Wendy was at the event to give a keynote speech that was filled with bits of life advice. It was entertaining and I was left wishing we could listen to Wendy talk more! The time passed by that quickly!
Now, when it comes to Wendy Williams, I don’t always agree with her, but I like that she “says it like [she means] it” and I loved that she was exactly the same as on her television show.
After her talk, she did a Q&A session and I hurried to get in line for the book signing that was to follow. I’m glad I got in line when I did because it got super long very quickly.
I didn’t think I would geek out meeting her, but I totally did. I wasn’t even planning on saying anything, but as soon as we got up to her, I began talking non-stop. I actually have the moment on video, but when I watched it back, I cringed because I SOUND LIKE A SIX YEAR OLD, straight up! My voice is SO HIGH PITCHED in the video and I’m speaking in exclamation points! (No wonder people always think I am younger than I am; I still get people thinking I am 16 sometimes!)
Anyway, Wendy was so nice and gracious! She smiled and laughed and asked if we were mother and daughter and I’m sure she would have said more if I stopped babbling. But that experience left me so happy that day and I’m so glad we got to go and see her!
Thesis Update
So, you remember those weekly updates I was supposed to be making about my thesis? Well, after I decided to follow my heart and change my topic, everything seemed to fall apart. Long story short: I couldn’t find anyone who would chair my thesis and with some bureaucracy things in place, I had deadlines I had to meet and it was getting kind of crazy and stressful (and I was getting desperate). I didn’t know if I would have to drop out for the semester, if I would lose my loan money or have to pay back money that the school would refuse to refund after a certain date, if I would be able to graduate at the end of the semester, or what.
On top of that, I was feeling so abandoned and I was trying not to doubt my decision. And that was hard to not do because with all the turmoil it was causing, I wondered if it was the wrong choice… but I knew I couldn’t go back because the thought of doing my old topic still was very unappealing. (Plus, when I get highly highly highly stressed, I tend to get sick and I did not want a repeat case of the shingles.)
Well, after weeks of… I don’t even know what to call it… I got some intervention and support from the academic coordinator and the director of the program. They really worked with me as an individual — which was so refreshing because I had been feeling like a number, like the unwanted hot potato to be passed around the department — and we came up with a solution. Since my solution just recently got approved — like yesterday — I am going to wait before I share more details about it.
But I will say this: I am so glad that I followed my heart and stuck with my convictions. I now feel like I am doing something that’s WAY MORE suited to who I am and what I want to do in the future! I also feel like this gives me the opportunity to work with someone who wants to work with me and that part feels really good. Even with all the tears and uncertainty, I can say I am glad I trusted myself.
What’s Going On in October?
I have no real plans for October except I plan on going back to Michigan. I think it’s going to be a month of focusing on the basics and probably getting a lot of work done. With all of the stuff that happened with my thesis, I lost a lot of weeks of work so I will likely be in overdrive for October.
Besides school stuff, I also purchased two courses from Groupon recently… one is an online TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and the other is a Nutritional Therapist certification. I’d like to make good progress through both of these courses by the end of the month, but there’s no pressure.
Finally, I also hope that I can enjoy some of the beauty of the fall while back in Michigan, too. If possible, I would like for us to visit either Traverse City or Mackinac Island — or maybe even both!
As for goals for the month of September, I wanted to:
- Visit San Francisco at least once. COMPLETED.
- Find a new committee chair for my thesis. COMPLETED.
- Send out some postcards. YET AGAIN, NOT COMPLETED. Yikes!
- Begin incorporating The Autoimmune Paleo Diet into my life. NOT COMPLETED.
- Blog about personality type & upcoming move & summer bucket list results. Umm… Kinda not really.
As for goals for the month of October, I want to:
- Visit Traverse City or Mackinac Island
- Do 4 modules of the online TEFL course
- Do 3 modules of the Nutritional Therapy course
- Start up the 101 Postcards Project again
- Actually begin incorporating The Autoimmune Paleo Diet into my life
What about you? Any plans for October?
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