Quarter Year Update

Believe it or not, March is coming to a close, meaning the year is already a quarter of the way through. Man does time fly.

I've got a TON going on in the next couple of months that I'm looking forward to. Prom is at the end of April and then graduation is only a few weeks later in May. Right after graduation, I have a conference to work on my schedule at Texas A&M, followed shortly by a trip to Alaska.

There won't be much time to breathe but honestly, I prefer it that way.

I suppose I'll treat this as more of an online journal entry and update you all on how things have been and what I have planned for the future in terms of working on goals and things of that nature. There isn't any overarching lesson or purpose to this post besides getting to see the personal side of me and maybe offering inspiration for you to work on some goals of your own.

That said, enjoy my little recap.

January

I came into January fresh off writing my goals and the things I wanted to do; I had peak motivation if you will. I did a few things in January, one of them being starting up this blog.

I didn't have any knowledge on how to make the website or what to even write, but I figured I'd take a stab at it and see how it went. A simple google search and a few YouTube videos were all I needed to get things situated.

Starting this blog was more than simply making a habit of writing, it was also a chance to put myself out there and talk about the things I'm interested in.

Before making an effort to write weekly on here, I've never written anything outside of school. I've been consistent, and for that I'm proud. It just goes to show you never know what you enjoy doing until you try a million different options.

I also got a tattoo with my mom! If anybody wants pictures, shoot me a message and I'll be happy to show you. I got it on my chest, so it's stealthy. The premise was based on music; we got the name of a couple of songs by an artist we listen to together all the time.

Other than that, nothing too glamorous. I kept training for another half-marathon and started working on some other personal projects(a bit of basic coding and some writing lectures).

But, we tend to gloss over the bad things and show only our highlights to those around us. I, on the contrary, think it's vital to show both sides of the story. Life isn't always going to go your way and sometimes we struggle. That's alright.

In January, I had a few issues to deal with, although they were mostly self-inflicted and not major in the grand scheme of things.

One thing I struggled with was my phone; I wasted a lot of time mindlessly scrolling and looking back, and I wish I had been more aware of it. I also tend to be an overthinker and January was no different.

February

In February, I had balance. I enjoyed life while simultaneously checking off a massive goal of mine.

After running a half-marathon in December, I was satisfied. I didn't run as well as I would have liked to but I completed it nonetheless. I had no intentions of doing another long race for a while, but when my dad asked about running another one together in February, I couldn't help but say yes. I love a good challenge and it was an opportunity to improve my time. Plus, I had already done the bulk of the training.

We ran the Galveston Half-Marathon, and things could not have gone better. I was shooting for a time under two hours and I finished in 1:56. I had been training since late July of 2021, so it was nice to reap the rewards of my hard work.

A weekend later, I was in Chicago visiting my childhood friend. We got the chance to catch up, and I got to go to a Blackhawks game.

I'd been to a few minor league hockey games in Houston before the team got relocated but never an NHL game. I had a blast - part of me wishes I lived up north so I could watch more hockey but I digress.

February was a bit more of a mental struggle in multiple regards. More overthinking per usual and image issues that I'd prefer not to get into. Just know everyone faces their own challenges.

March

March was more play, less work. The big highlights were going to Hot Springs, Arkansas and the concert I'm going to tonight.

Hot Springs was a great time and a much-needed opportunity to decompress. I was excited to go hiking because there isn't much nature here in League City. We went for a short hike one morning and then my dad and I went for a longer hike another day.

I also saw The Batman in Hot Springs. Plain and simple, it was phenomenal.

Apart from my trip to Hot Springs, I'm going to see Tyler, the Creator tonight. I haven't been to a concert since November so needless to say I've been looking forward to it.

In terms of personal projects, I finished taking notes over a series of writing lectures to try and work on the craft. I'll explain that in a bit.

The Next 3 Months

I figure in 3 months I'll give another update on what I've managed to accomplish and experience halfway through the year. This is a brief outline of what I expect of the next 3 months.

Firstly, I have prom and graduation. I need not elaborate.

I'm also going to Alaska in June, so I'll have plenty to gush about following that trip.

Last, and certainly my most ambitious task of the year, is to start writing a book. Getting back into reading and then writing this blog made me realize at the beginning of this year that this was a challenge I wanted to tackle.

After finishing a series of 14 writing lectures, I feel well-equipped. I have a lot of planning and outlining to do before I can even begin to write but I'm excited nonetheless.

Anyway, that's my year so far. I hope everyone else is thriving!