Revisiting Previous Goals

This past July, I composed a blog post around setting goals for my first quarter of college. Feel free to give it a read here https://trilliumflowersblog.com/2022/07/30/goal-setting-first-quarter/

The quarter ended last week, and I’m back in Bend for the holidays. The sun is being birthed again, a new year is beginning, and there’s no better time to reflect on how far we’ve come. 

Friendships

The goals I had involving both new and old social interaction

Making friends with all of my dorm mates

I set this goal having already spoken to the majority of my suitemates for several months, and was pretty confident in my ability to excel at this goal for that fact. However, as time passed, I began to realize how unrealistic it was to assume I would be best friends with everyone I lived with. We’re all kind and respectful toward each other (for the most part) and have reached the understanding that making our apartment a livable space is a group collaboration. I often find myself doing the majority of the kitchen cleanup, washing mystery dishes, and sweeping up mystery crumbs, but I don’t mind all that much. I am close with a handful of my roommates and have a friend who doesn’t technically live in the dorms but spends enough nights here to count as a roommate, but for the most part, my roommates are friendly cohabitants, which is fine with me!

Making friends with the people in my classes and herbal apprenticeship

I’m happy to report that some of my closest friends at Evergreen so far are people I’ve met through my class. We spend time together both inside and outside of the classroom and have become very close. I’m very grateful for this because it makes classtime infinitely more enjoyable, and the people I’ve befriended are wonderful people who I enjoy hanging out with. The majority of people in my apprenticeship are significantly older than me, but I enjoy every session, and everyone is very kind. 

Keep in contact with my friends back home

In my opinion, I think I’ve excelled at this for the most part. Not only have I maintained contact with my friends back in Bend I’ve also rekindled a friendship that had previously fizzled out. In some cases, now that I live in Olympia, I talk to some of my friends over the phone more often than I did living in Bend. Maintaining these friendships is very important to me, and I count myself very lucky to have grown up around such amazing people.

Caring for myself:

Goals I designed to ensure I would be happy and healthy in the new space

Keep my room organized

I did a better job at this one than I expected I would! While my room is now way perfectly clean, it’s a much more liveable space than I ever maintained in Bend. One major factor is I have less space, which meant I couldn’t bring everything that had been cluttering up my old room. The things I did end up bringing were all items I care greatly about, and as a result, I find I’m naturally inclined to take better care of them. The other factor is having friends constantly in my space. I’ve learned I love having people over, and something that comes with having company is needing to keep the space clean and usable for them. There’s definitely room to grow in my organization, but overall I’m pretty impressed with my ability to keep my room clean. 

Eat healthily and regularly

I eat better in Olympia making my own meals/making meals with my friends than I ever have in Oregon. I often find myself cooking for others, or helping people cook, and as a result, I’ve had the opportunity to really explore the food I love. I also do my own shopping, so I can plan meals and buy the ingredients I need for them. It’s the level of freedom I don’t have in Bend, where I have to rely on my parents to shop or drive me to the store, which allows me to take control of my eating habits. I really enjoy cooking, especially with friends. We’re able to dance around the kitchen and have fun while we make food, which makes the whole process from store to kitchen to table so enjoyable and fun. 

Get outside often

At the beginning of the quarter, before the sun started setting at 4:30 pm, I was able to walk down to the beach every day after work. I would walk along the rocky shore, searching for agates and quartz, and would never come back empty-handed. Now that the sun sinks in the sky so early, I find other ways and other times to get outside. When it’s dark, I never go out alone, but can always find a friend who is more than willing to have a candlelit picnic with me, or explore the trails and walk along the beach under the light of the moon. And on days when I don’t work, I take full advantage of the light and venture into the woods on my own. I’ve explored so many trails and discovered so many hidden gems in the Evergreen forests. As of now, I have never gone more than two days without going on a hike. Sitting in my living room in Bend, Oregon, I desperately miss the Olympia wilderness. 

Either continue seeing my current therapist or find a new one

This is a goal I have not felt a need to complete. I’m living in a beautiful place, surrounded by friends, woods, and music. I get to study what I am passionate about, I get to work with children, I get to read good books, and make good art. I dance often, I get outside regularly, and I eat better than I ever have. Maybe I will need to return to therapy at some point, but that point is not today. I was able to learn and retain a lot of coping strategies from the four years I spent in therapy, and I know I can always return to learn more if I need to. But as of now, I feel equipped to handle what may come. 

Maintain regular contact with family

My parents and I call several times a week and text almost every day while I’m in Olympia, a balance that works for me and my schedule very well. Sometimes we call when I’m alone, and sometimes we call when I’m with friends (all of whom love my parents). It was difficult being away from home when Zoe (my dog) was diagnosed with lung cancer and later passed away, but I’m grateful for the time they came to visit me with her, and the days I was able to spend in Bend when I got to say goodbye. I love spending time with my family, and wish Wyatt would respond to my texts more (I’ve heard I’m not alone in that wish). Overall, the system we’ve naturally fallen into fits just right for me. 

Personal trifles

Goals designed to improve me in a wide variety of ways

Learn how to navigate the bus system and get into Olympia regularly

I believe I have excelled at this goal. At first, the bus system seemed incredibly intimidating and incomprehensible. I got lost a couple of times. Got on the wrong bus. Got stuck in the next town over for several hours. And through it all, I never panicked. Another bus will always come(and if one doesn’t I have money for an uber). Now I travel downtown at least once a week and make the journey to Safeway or Burger King (where Wally works) several times a week. I’ve learned how to navigate the bus system through a lot of trial and error and was luckily able to stay safe through it all. I love riding the bus now, it gives me time alone to listen to music and read my book. Bus journeys are something I look forward to, and jump at the opportunity to embark on any chance I get. 

Make connections to artisans and craftsmen

There’s definitely room to grow here, but I feel I’ve made some major strides. I’ve run my own booth with the help of my friend, Wally at an Evergreen-hosted craft fair, where I made over 250 dollars selling my needle-felted creations in four hours! (Many of which are listed on my Etsy, which you can find here https://www.etsy.com/shop/TrilliumCritters?ref=search_shop_redirect). Being at Evergreen, surrounded by so much beauty and so many creative people, has really inspired me to branch into more mediums. Some friends host a craft night at their apartment every week, and I attend whenever I can. It’s so nice to find and get together with like-minded creative people. 

Improve my handwriting

If anything, I think my handwriting has gotten worse at college. In lectures, I’m having to write so much so fast! My handwriting has definitely gotten smaller (who knew that was possible) and I still love taking notes. I’d like to continue trying to improve my handwriting this coming quarter. 

Reflection, and what’s to come

It’s so interesting to look back on what was important to me at the beginning of the quarter and reflect on these things that are equally as important to me now. Expect another blog post before the next quarter begins filled with more goals being set! Thank you to everyone who has made the first quarter of college so wonderful, I can’t wait to see you all once winter break is over!