A quick & inaccurate rating of 2018
- Jessyca Stoepker
- Dec 30, 2018
- 3 min read
While January lasted 10 years, December has lasted 10 seconds. After a brown Christmas, I'm back to work planning out the year ahead. But I can only do that if I can examine what exactly I'm leaving behind.
Instead of the usual format, I thought I'd switch up this post with a choppy pro/con analysis of 2018, rating the year from personal, professional, and global perspectives. Keep in mind this is all opinion--and if you're looking for 2018's all-inclusive almanac, you might want to look elsewhere!
Personal score: 6/10
Pros:
Solidified my personal style.
Skin has cleared dramatically.
Met Jane Goodall and still brag about it.
Obtained appreciation for dry red wine.
Had some grand adventures with lovely people.
Enjoyed living in two adorable apartments.
Caught up with friends from abroad.
Improved aspects of self-care.
Grew plant collection.
Still single.
Cons:
Stressful family situations.
Appreciated too much wine.
Moved away from friends and family.
Multiple car issues and other big expenses.
Didn't reach a few personal goals.
Forgot what healthy eating looked like for a while.
Exercise??
Still single.
Professional score: 9/10
Pros:
Completed a fantastic internship.
Graduated magna cum laude.
Solidified great relationships and references.
Acquired awesome first job in my field.
Improved career skills and confidence.
Maintained this blog.
Earned a raise and a Christmas bonus.
Solidified plans for grad school.
Cons:
Stress.
Difficulty finding work/life balance.
Global score: 4/10
Pros (the major ones):
Elected many promising members of Congress.
Plant-based movement is progressing fast.
People are becoming more vocal about causes that matter.
Excellent memes.
North Korea de-escalation.
Great midterms with Gretchen Whitmer and new MI legislation.
Jason Momoa.
The Haunting of Hill House and Bodyguard.
Incredibles 2, Infinity War, and other movies I still need to see.
Cons (the short list):
Major steps back with presidential administration.
Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.
Repeal of Net Neutrality.
Kanye West.
Passing of Stephen Hillenburg, Mac Miller, and Stan Lee.
Friends and family experiencing health issues.
Flint Water Crisis is STILL a thing, and now PFAS and Line 5.
Tik Tok app.
Global crises continue, like the famine in Yemen.
Status of refugees worsens: Rohingya, Syria, and others.
Worldwide and national disasters, like fires in California.
Child immigrants *still* being separated from their parents.
So. Many. Shootings.
CLIMATE CHANGE.
If you're looking at the final "score," 19/30 isn't very impressive--even if it's just a number I came up with to quantify completely subjective experiences. Much of that is due to circumstances out of my control (natural disasters, shootings, and other depressing events I didn't mention here). So, while of course I'd change several things if I could, 2018 proved to be a wonderful year of learning, growth, and optimism on a personal scale.
I could have gone more in-depth in my analysis. I could spew on about the countless nights spent crying from both sadness and joy--the accomplishment I've felt, the confusion, the unconditional love from friends new and old--but I won't. If anything, 2018 has taught me that some experiences just aren't meant to be shared. Besides, I need to save some things for other blog posts...(*winks*).
It's healthy to be honest with yourself so you can see where you've succeeded, where you can still improve, and what global factors may have affected your perception of how the year went. For instance, I think we can all agree that Tik Tok slightly diminished our faith in humanity. That said, don't read too much into the past. Focus on your choices ahead--because that's where your power lies. And I'm telling this to myself just as much as anyone else. Thank u, next.
Best of luck to you in the year ahead, and thank you to all who have made a positive impact on my life in 2018!
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