2021: A Post-Mortem
2021 - definitely a lot to unpack there. Started off with peak COVID cases and massive pandemic anxiety and just a glimmer of hope keeping us sane through the cold, cold days. Funnily enough, thatās how it ended - peak COVID cases, massive pandemic anxiety and again, just a glimmer of hope, though this time, the glimmer might be a facade. 2021 brought us quite a few - once with the vaccines and then in the fall after delta tapered off a bit. In the face of the wax and wane of the pandemic, life ended up continuing, trying to pretend like everything was fine (even though, no it quite wasnāt at times).
This year was a lot of trying to concentrate fun and sanity into the brief months in which COVID was not rampaging around the world. I somehow managed to cram a lot of things into the year, which was impressive given that I spent a lot of my time wrestling imposter syndrome, and pandemic anxiety, and loneliness, and adulthood, and all of the usual things.
For instance -
I dropped my first song ever! On Spotify! 14 year old me would be so proud. I always dreamed of making my own song one day, and Iām really proud that I managed to teach myself everything from step 1 of writing a melody to step n of mastering a million different tracks on my DAW. It only took like seven years of a come-and-go side hobby, but finally got there.
I also did actually get my Masters degree! And then promptly missed out on another graduation, thank you covid. Continuing on with my three year streak, I did get publication #3 out. Reflecting on that, writing my 78 page thesis while trying to revise figures and experiments for publication #3 was a 7 day / week, 10 hour a day affair for a month and a half. It was certainly a lot.
I stopped being an achiever for the summer and instead became a traveler, making up for the miles I missed during 2020. After I got vaccinated and the world seemed like it was turning a corner, I packed a bag and saw my best friend in New York for the first time in over 400 days, moved out of Boston back to California, impulse took a weekend trip to Michigan to see my other friends for the first time in nearly 200 days, came back, road tripped through Central California with my high school friends (staying in Nevada), and immediately turning around to see Washington and Oregon with my mom for ten days. So yes, I managed to hit seven states in just under two months.
Work started, which means I finally started my first full-time job! From not my bedroom, but the room just across the hall from my bedroom, which doesnāt make it much better. I truly discovered the hell that is starting remotely. Iām not gonna lie, it was not fun for like a whole month and a half. Finally after I started on a project and became comfortable enough to crack a joke with my coworkers, it became much more bearable. Now, I might say that I am having a decent time. (Iām trying not to talk about work too much yet on this forum, just because I think since Iām so new, Iām still at the point where things could go north or south really fast, and I want to make sure Iām not getting ahead of myself by writing anything down in stone.)
Then I decided to go back to New York to see my friend, and we went to CT to eat Sweetgreen. I then promptly returned to MIT for the first time since I graduated and saw one of my other friends for the first time in what must be almost 500 days, and crashed on her floor for a while. The Boston trip was a whirlwind - I forgot how being on-campus is just a constant wave of seeing people you know and having spontaneous conversations for 20 minutes in front of the student center.
I went home and I was tired - but then I went to Texas to visit my Texas friend. It was my first time in Texas, and it was shocking how similar it was to some of the suburbs Iāve lived in in California. Minus the huge Texas flags, of course.
Finally home for about a month, I worked out nearly every day, I got to spend time with my friends, focus a lot on work. In the first half of December though, I finally committed on moving to New York in January of 2022, so I went to the city to meet my co-workers in person and find an apartment. Let me tell you - meeting people in person is so underrated, I feel like working in-person was at least 10x better than working on Zoom. Even now, going back to it, Iām just not into it. Iād really rather not. It was the same thing of meeting as many people as fast as possible, setting up random coffee chats and talking tech design while spinning around in office chairs. Itās everything.
Now, apartment hunting? Thatās just messed up. I mean, the market was insane, the process was stressful, and a lot of the apartments were just ugh!!!!! You can read more about it here, but that was the most insane six days of my life, but I did lock down a 2bed apartment in Fidi for me and my roommate, moving in in just about two weeks now!
So the yearās over, time to look at last yearās goals I set for myself:
graduate with my Masters! can be from Killian, or from living room. I have an entire photo shoot with my friends for grad pics and you know I have an entire countdown waiting for the day I can post those pictures
I did! And i posted the pics
continue to learn languages! because what else am i going to do with my time. maybe this will finally be the year i learn mandarinā¦ā¦. nope thatās setting the bar too high
I did! My duolingo is >500 days and it is my only personality trait
read more! I should read more. I really should because it is embarrassing how little I read. I should really read more. I should have a goal of reading 12 books next year ! Yes, we are setting the goal low, but again, low expectations!
I actually ended up reading over 25 books this year! Iām really happy with myself about that because I felt like I lost the habit during college. Some good book recs from the past year are āIn the Dream Houseā, āA Vanishing Halfā, and āHomeland Elegiesā.
Actually, I also want to apply to some MBA programs, so Iām writing that down here to manifest it
I DID! I got into the early Sloan MBA program
See my friends again - I have pretty reasonable hopes that 2021 will let us at some point see each other, whether it be during the spring, the summer, the winter, maybe exactly one year from now on 12/31/21, idk, but it will happen! Manifest that
I did! For like 48 whole hours, which was one whirlwind of a Michigan trip, and also did see my best friend for slightly more than 48 hours.
Make like 2 friendsā¦.. ok make one (1) new friend.,,,,,
(did i make a friend this year......) Iād say I grew closer to certain folks. And have talked to new people....? Iām definitely not a net negative on friends this year, so thatās good!
Let go of old things from 2020 that I miss or wish would happen. Open myself to new things.
I have. I canāt wait til I move to New York and finally get a fresh start and get to explore the city. I know 2022 is gonna be a hell of a year with a lot of new changes. I hope it will be kind.
Another thing that Iām really proud of this year is actually consistently working out. This is one of those ones that I keep on every year, saying that Iāll finally do it, but I end up faltering time and time again. Iāll talk about it maybe in a separate post, but I finally figured out an exercise regimen that works for me, where itās a part of my day and I donāt dread it. Iāve ended up feeling really good physically after working out 6-7 days / week, getting in cardio at least 4-5 times a week. Iād say itās the first time in my entire life where Iāve been able to exercise consistently like this without quitting after a couple weeks, so Iām very, very proud of myself for accomplishing this in 2021.
I know 2022 is going to be absolutely wild - there are already many ideas in the works, from moving to New York in a couple weeks and finally having my in-person graduation in May, and possibly a fun summer trip. I have 68000 credit card points. The world is my oyster.
Goals!
Release another song on Spotify
Blog more consistently. I feel like I really fell off the wagon on this blog, but Iām thinking about what I want to write about post-grad and I have a couple ideas, but nothing set in stone yet.
Continue the language thing. I finally invested some money in language learning apps so I am actually going to use it this year. Languages include mandarin chinese, taiwanese, and arabic and spanish
Read 24 books next year. My goal for 2021 was 12, and I smashed it with 27, so Iām doubling it for 2022.
I want to do something new every week. Like go to a new coffee place or visit a new neighborhood every week, just so I keep on exploring the world and never settling for what I know.
MAKE MORE FRIENDS
Honestly I just want to live life and have fun at this point, COVID really has decimated my motivation to work in our capitalistic society :| but it is what it is!!











