2021 in Review

 I am going to level with you, my dear audience; 2021 was a shit show for me.  I have never felt emotions on such extreme levels, and I fear this is only the beginning.   Despite how hopeful I am about my future and changes in my life, being thrown into the eye of the hurricane was dizzying.  I turned 21, watched my two best friends graduate and move across the country, started senior year of college, and along the way, somehow managed to learn a few things.  This won't be an entirely positive or inspiring list of things I have learned.  After all, life never works in absolutes.  Without further ado:  21 Lessons from 2021.

21. Budgeting is really important, but so is enjoying life. 

20. Childhood pets die, and it hurts, and leaves a small part of you 
empty. 

19. Going from living with your best friends to living hours away really, really sucks.  However, it is really cool to watch your friends grow up and experience life. 

18. The functions of Athenian democracy finally do stick in your head after 3 years of university. 

17. Pandemics suck, but as with most things in life, after awhile things just start to feel... normal.  

16. It isn't always "okay not to be okay."  Sometimes, it physically hurts and the pain seems inescapable. 

15. The only beer worth my time is Blue Moon. 

14. Depression is not one thing.  Sometimes it is crying.  Sometimes it is staring into the distance for an hour.  Sometimes it is anger.  Sometimes it doesn't bother you at all.  

13. Reading is a great escape that I learned to appreciate again.  Middle school Sam would be truly proud of how much I read this year and the places I went through text.    

12. Trader Joes rigatoni is the best pasta you can buy in stores.  However, the CDC does not recommend eating it 3-4x a week.

11. A weekly trivia night won't fix everything, but it will definitely help something. 

10. Asking for extensions on school work is worth the stress it saves. 

9.  Getting bangs is less traumatic when you're 21 and no longer look like a coconut-head, pre-pubescent boy. 

8. The hardest thing to do when you have the blues is maintain a clean room.  

7. A clean room is one of the best ways to feel better. 

6. Flirting around is all fun and games until someone wants to act on it.  Then it gets a little bit scary. 

5. Perfumes and smelling good are an easy way to raise self-esteem. 

4. Admitting your own faults is daunting, and I'm all too good at deceiving myself of how good I am at it.  

3. An emotional support animal doesn't always provide groundbreaking emotional support, but they're        always cute and ready for hugs. 

2. Family can be annoying, and hard to like.  Heads clash, arguments are held, tears are spilled.  But, they will be the first ones to come to your aid.  

1. Sometimes you may think that it would be nice to fall into a coma, and take a break from things.  However, in the course of that month, you realize you would miss at least 4 trivia nights, dozens of chest-aching laughing fits, a healthy dose of Starbucks, and the rare but beautiful heat of the sun.  You wouldn't share horrible TikToks with friends.  You wouldn't read a book that leaves your heart yearning so much for adventure that it haunts your dreams.  You wouldn't listen to poetry that makes your soul    bloom.  You wouldn't run into an old friend on the street.  You wouldn't get take-out from your favorite restaurant.  You wouldn't experience the good and the bad that makes life... life.  So you think that maybe, staying awake might be worth it.

Here is to 2022, 

Sam