2011 (with links)

If 2010 was characterized by moulting, the reptilian shedding of old skin (wait ew sorry for that imagery), then 2011 was all about learning to be comfortable in this new one. I ended this year with less optimism than what I started with, but with more experience, direction, and confidence. 

In 2011, I declared a major (Public Policy Studies, what up), wrote many papers, vacillated a lot on my stance on math and academia in general. I spent my first 4 quarters at UChicago running in circles, giving up something only to pick it up again, picking up something only to drop it again. In a lot of ways, my academic journey has led me almost back to my starting point: I applied as an Economics major and I’m probably going to graduate as a Public Policy major specializing in Economics. But even though it looks like this exploration didn’t go anywhere, I feel like I’ve grown so much. I had to give up on math and econ to realize that I liked it and I had to try my share of humanities courses to realize that it wasn’t the best for me. 

I also spent too much time writing silly cryptic posts about boys. Sometimes I even wrote sequels. But seeing as how I can usually only talk about my feelings in the form of extended metaphors, I consider these posts as a sort of indication of my growing adeptness of emotional expression. Or something. Either way, this was kind of an eventful year. I was hurt, and did some hurting. I flirted and bantered and dated, but I also sulked and avoided. I had fun, but I ended the year romance-free and more independent.

In 2011 I also made a best friend and future roommate, cut 8 inches off my hair, worked my first 9-to-5 job, drank a lot played some games, joined a sorority (wut), and my tumblr officially become a 25th/OOC appreciation blog.

And now, if I had to choose a picture that kind of best summed up my year, it would be this:

I am drinking shitty beer, sort of smirking, and sandwiched between two men with facial hair. If this was 2008, you would call me a hipster. But it’s 2011, so I just look like a college student.