thank u 2019, next...a new decade

Of course I had to mention that one of my highlights of 2019 was graduating from college!

The week leading up to Christmas is a crazy time full of races. These races include, but are not limited to dashing through department stores for deals; sprinting to studios and gyms for their promotions; and jotting down goals for -now- the new decade. I realized that when I went to write down my goals one thought did NOT cross my mind. It was halfway through my chicnscratch-style-cursive when I hadn’t yet thought 2019 sucked!

Like the saying goes, You are your own worst critic and I believe this carries into how we plan for the new year. Because for most people the first thing to cross their mind is Wow this last year sucked! I can say with confidence that yes 2019 did suck. But it also had some unforgettable moments. For me, this year was when I finally got to reap basically everything I sewed this past decade. Ah - as I walk down memory lane, ofc in my Gucci Aces, I think about the moments that defined it… You might not be surprised by some of the top moments that made it for me, but again my life is an open book. So sit back, scroll on, and I hope you have some laughs and awws!

Getting My BA, Despite All my BS 
While there was never any doubt I’d graduate from college, there were many times when I doubted my talents in what I was studying. I majored in Writing & Rhetoric, a degree that for the most part is pretty made up for liberal arts in the undergrad. I’d say it was more like studying communications then English. But it still baffles me how I could jump from drawing diagrams of sentences, to writing about Beyonce and making videos about Ariana Grande. I can honestly say I loved my academic journey as it wrapped up in 2019. My last year was all about studying things that I wanted to, and challenging myself to prove that it mattered. Journalism and politics weren’t my focus in writing. However, I am proud to have earned distinction in my major, I was one of 3 y’all, and prove that pop culture is political.

Securing the Bag After College 
Now I truly am writing this in the most humble sense, but I knew I would find my way back into the industry after college. In the last decade, I cannot tell you how hard I worked in breaking into the world of Hollywood. It wasn't just enough to be a fan of the industry, I became a scholar of it. Even when I was too young to intern at a studio or production company I was building my vernacular and skills regarding entertainment. From reading the trades at school, to constantly being on the radar at open houses and emailing recruiters, I made sure that everywhere I went someone left knowing my name. That's why when I finished school the challenge wasn't finding out what to do. My challenge was finding out where I'd want to start my career. Luckily, through the networking I'd done and work I put in I found a job that gave me a chance to do more and do real work with real talent. 

Treating Fitness as a Celebration of my Body
When I came back from my semester abroad I was sure that yes it changed my life, and I wanted to work on myself. One of my biggest insecurities has always been my weight. I have been plump for as long as I can remember. And while I am truly lucky to never have faced animosity because of my weight, I was constantly beating myself up. I used to think I wasn't attractive enough to post pictures of myself, make friends, and even land my dream job. Luckily, we live in a world that is less superficial, but still is, then what I imaged in my head. This past year is when I started to focus on my health and wellness seriously. I was eating healthier and starting to be a regular at my school's gym. However, the change didn't come until I stopped having the mindset that every mile I ran was for every cookie I ate. By that I mean that I started to see fitness as a way of understanding and accepting my body. When the miles became goals I had and not a punishment, not only did the weight come off but the rest followed suit. I left my insecurities at the door and stepped into things like spin classes, weight training, heck even Crossfit! So in this past year I'm so proud to be where I'm at, and I am eager to keep it up in 2020 and see how much more I can improve my relationship with my body,

Owning Up to My Own Bills 
This is something that came on later in 2019, but bills bills bills they're here to stay. I am blessed and fortunate enough to have parents who have supported my sisters and I as much as they have. I graduated college without any debt, my own car, and that's on top of the funds my parents made sure I had in school. So when I finished school, I made it a point to show my parents that their investment in me could pay off. My phone, my groceries, and gas expenses were now my own. Every trip to Starbucks was now my responsibility. Don't get me wrong, for someone who is truly new to the working thing I had no idea how to budget. But when my parents saw me making a spreadsheet with my bills and managing my money they seemed proud. I am too. I'm still a long ways away from my fortune 500 lifestyle, but I am understanding that ordering a Venti iced mathca latte with two scoops and coconut milk errr day maybe isn't the best thing to do. 

Finding a Group, Or Should I Say Posse, and Sticking To It 
Back in high school, I was in a cohort of students who would stay together for 4 years. At least, that was the plan. But thanks to the encouragement of the teacher leading us, I moved up to an AP track. Now moving onto to AP English from Honors wasn't major, yet I did act like I was gone all together. I grew apart from this group and notably felt sad when we graduated from high school. It wasn't that I couldn't stay friends with them, I just didn't put in the effort. That's why this highlight means so much. In this last decade, I've belonged to a posse for almost 5 years now. We've known each other since high school, went through college together, and now we're like kinda adults out in the world. These individuals all grew up with me and saw me when I was batsh!t crazy in school. And this group also saw me reach some of my greatest goals in the decade. I'm proud that in my own way, and on my own terms, I remained apart of a posse, crossing the finish line with them in 2019. 

Planning a Friend's Vacay
Just like every basic girl whose IG posts about Rome reference the Lizzie McGuire movie, I came back from abroad with a travel bug. During my senior year in college, I'll admit I got some good trips in. Going to Rochester and Syracuse, NY became normal, and I got to visit Boston for the first time. (Then there was that weekend my friends and I piled into my car and partied in Toronto during senior week, ugh miss those clowning days.) As I wrote about in a previous post, planning a trip was something I needed now as a kinda real adult. It was an utter treat to reunite with some of my closest friends in the city that is full of flavour; Boston. Cheers to all of my friends who were always down to clown, and here's to my friends who have always had a couch for me to crash on. May 2020 bring more trips, more fun, and more life abroad! 

Write On Willy! 
I am a writer through and through. Before my love for social media or PR comes the power of the written word. Studying writing and getting to write about writing this past year was exhilarating. In 2019, I got to geek out with faculty and staff members at school about things like grammar and style. I doubt most people could understand or get excited when they read a spicy lede, but this past year I was all about it! As part of my college experience, I created a final writing portfolio. In those nearly 80 pages I made a case for who was Will and what is his voice. This past year was traced in my work with prose. I became a Writing Fellow and helped students with their process, I grew in my process, and I felt like I made a mark in my writing department. In the new year I want to continue to write for myself. I want to maintain my voice and amplify it. Connecting with people is what I love to do, and all I can hope for in 2020 is that I can do more of it on a scale I could never imagine. 

Family Finally Meaning Something 
Family is something that means different things to different people. Nonetheless, it's something that every person defines for themselves. However, I never really had a focus on defining family. I loved my immediate family of course. It was the idea of embracing people, trusting them, and growing with them that seemed alien to me. I'm a pretty abrasive person. I like to keep it this way to not get hurt. But 2019 was the year where I finally started to let people in. And not like fake in with banter about the weather and all that, but I really let people in. From my hopes, dreams, fears, and more, people at school and even my own family began to have pieces of my heart. I think people noticed I was more genuine. But it was only because in 2019 I learned from some of the kindest souls I will probably ever meet. 

Honoring My Process of Becoming...
Hannah Montana said it first, nobody's perfect, and she was right. I don't really adhere to the idea that life is a river and you go with the flow. I believe more that we are the masters of our own fate. The universe is chaotic and there's things out of our control. One thing that each of us controls is our reaction to what comes our way. This past year I started to both own my decisions and own my mistakes. In the year I plan to continue to be a better person than I was the day before. Whether it's saying, "Please" and "Thank you," running at a .1 faster pace, or just spending 5 more minutes with a friend, I want to do things to feel like I'm growing into a person I want to be.