New Year’s Eve is often a time when people reflect on the past year and think about what they are going to do in the new year as a result of the past year. I can honestly say though, that as a whole, 2013 was a good year for me. I was happy, and even though things are looking up even more as this year comes to a close, things could either get really worse or continue on their path hah. So what happened this year…let’s rewind.
The first two months of the year are pretty much a blur. I attended the Auctioneer’s Conference in January to which I volunteered myself to speak at this upcoming January. (Which I’m rather excited for) I started my second semester of grad school which was by far a very nerve wracking experience being in charge of actually counseling real people on campus. I continued to grow through that experience, though, and it has brought me to my last semester starting soon. I still remember putting the sessions into my calendar and then promptly adding a brief moment to freak out as reality hit me, lol. February must have been a pretty dull month because I don’t remember much of it, lol. Those winter months are usually ones that get blocked out of my memories because of all the snow.
Looking back on my old blog posts, there was a lot of talk in March about silence as a counselor. I’ve gotten much better with using this tool, but it is something that I still struggle with. I’m often the person to want to jump in and say something before the client can really get to think. But hey, it’s a place for improvement! By March, I had also had one large bout of ear infection after ear infection. I kept seeing the CRNP at the specialists office to no avail. It wasn’t until later in the year that I got transferred to a doctor who I actually got to see and has these infections pretty much under wraps.
April was when I had my first year evaluation for my program which went well. By this time, I was truly realizing that counseling is something that I love. I think it took me awhile to really understand what it is all about and to get more comfortable with it. With that being said, I still believe that there is room to grow! If we ever get comfortable where we are in our learning, that should be a sign to us that we need to be revived in what we do.
May was a good month overall even though it was packed with work, along with June. As a master’s student it was required to take 2 summer classes, and if I wanted to be eligible for my LPC, 3 classes was necessary. Summer classes were horrible, but in all honesty it made me become closer to some of my best friends that I’ve met through my emphasis area. We grew closer as a cohort, and even had a picnic with Dr. Trusty after classes were over. May marked the end of my first year, which was a good feeling. It’s scary to me, though, that May is coming up again once more which will mark the end of my program and that’s when the real world begins or so I’m told.
July and August were good months, I had a few weddings. I relaxed, I worked at auctioneers and in August it was time to start school again! This time I was going to start my internship along with my classes at CAHS. It’s funny to me, because even if I know that I will be fine once something gets going, I am still nervous as ever when something begins. That’s how I felt in August as I began my internship. Throughout the semester, though, I have realized that school counseling is exactly where I belong. I love the atmosphere, and I love helping the kids. Some people may think I’m crazy for working with adolescents but really, I love it.
The whole fall semester was rather crazy. I did three weddings in September and then one in November which brought the grand total of 2013 to 7. My classes were crazy, and I can definitely say that it was the worse as far as work goes. As a cohort we would talk and complain about classes all the time, haha, but we made it which is even sweeter now. I ended the semester with a 4.0, which is also my cumulative GPA..hopefully I don’t mess that up, but if I do, no worries!
Thanksgiving was the first time that my whole family got together for a holiday post divorce which was great. It is nice that my parents can be civil for the good of the family. Christmas was good as well, even though it wasn’t quite what I had imagined lol. 2013 was also the year that I decided that I’m pretty sure I want to pursue my doctorate degree as well in Counselor Ed and Supervision. I’m not sure if it will be at Penn State, but it will likely be one year after I graduate. I want to get out and work for a year and see if it is still what I want. I think it would be awesome, though, to teach counselors in training just where I am. I like academics, and they are one thing that no one can take from you. Your education is yours, which makes it all the better. So we will see! I’m already excited though…haha
Even though the year had it’s ups and downs, it was an overall happy one. I can honestly say that it was 10x better than 2012, and hopefully 2014 is 10x better than that! 🙂 So what’s ahead for 2014?
I graduate in 2014! Which means looking for a job…wherever that may be! I can honestly say that I have no idea where I will end up but that is kind of scary and exciting at the same time. I’m young so I might as well keep it interesting lol. I have 8 weddings this year to photograph, which is amazing! I am so blessed when it comes to doing something that I love. I’m also photographing two of my good friend’s weddings which makes it all more fun!
I’m looking forward to 2014, It’s looking like it’s going to be a good year so far. 🙂 I’m not quite one to make resolutions, so I just hope that I can continue to grow as a person and become better friends with people and keep as connected to my family as I am now. Who knows what 2014 has in store, but I’m looking forward to it! Thank you to everyone who has made this year great and have touched my life in so many different ways. I am truly blessed, and I hope to continue to be a positive person who appreciates everything that I have been blessed with. I’m sure I could write a book just about each year that I live, but these summaries help me to see how I’ve grown in a snapshot.
It’s time to go into another year, the year where I turn 24. Let’s see where it takes me!