self-reflection

It’s about the journey, not the destination — right?

Since I’ve been through so many phases in my life, how am I supposed to narrow it down to a short title? After much thought, I’ve come up with a few titles that I think encapsulate my life and experiences so far. 

Here, I’ve welcomed the intricacies of human life by unconsciously paying attention to those around me. People-watching can do that for you, as taking account of the way humans move and act around you is like another way of captivating an art form in a casual manner. 

Recently, I’ve done a lot of self-reflection and thought about what has and hasn’t worked for me in the past few months, both personally and academically. Before the next academic year, I want to make some changes in my life and I’m using this summer to do so. 

There is an intimate, human quality to handwritten letters. They can create a material connection with others from miles away that can forever be held and looked back on. These letters also in time can serve as written records of history, tangible reminders of the past. In our movement towards digital technology, we risk the loss of one of the most treasured forms of human communication.

My commonplaces are as rhizomatic as I am. My thoughts and ideas flow and emerge in unpredictable patterns, taking on new roots at will. 

Resolutions do not indicate a betrayal of the past, but more of a betrothed brighter future. In your resolve to resolute throughout 2023, strive for glimmers of improvement, rather than bold flashes of drastic change.

I never read my columns once they are published because I’m always afraid of discovering an unintended meaning in my words that I didn’t notice when I first wrote it. What if I come across as selfish, or cocky when writing my columns? What if they aren’t relatable at all?

There’s so much good and bad to unpack, but I won’t bore you with the particulars. Even though I felt like I was being thrown back and forth a lot, I managed to make it through all right – and I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way.

As I prepare for my senior year at UC Berkeley, I find myself in a state of self-reflection. I look back at my past years, all the things I’ve experienced and think about how they’ve all led me to where I am now. As I approach my last year of undergrad, I’m filled with excitement, angst, nerves, gratitude and every emotion I could imagine.