I wrote earlier that I didn’t really feel like doing a review of last year, since there are not many things to look back at. 2017 was decidedly not my year. Looking back what I feel is as if I have completely skipped the whole year. All I can think about is work, I even had 10+ paid leave days remaining (i.e. going to waste), because there was always some reason not to take a day off.
Of course I have all the intention now to change things, so that I would have a bunch of great stuff to look back at one year from now. This time I’d like to do a short list of what I am hopeful about continuing or launching in the next 12 months. I could probably list a few more, but I narrowed the topics to the ones I will most certainly post more about here.
Learning
2017 was a year of learning for me in a lot of ways. I was always interested in learning how to learn, and took every opportunity to keep studying, but last year I really fueled this passion. First I took a right brain learning course, where I learned different learning methods and brain hacks. Later I discovered the teachings of Jim Kwik and it was life changing! I have yet to buy one of his trainings (for lack of time), but I am listening to his podcast and subscribed to his updates on different channels. If you are interested in memory training and brain improvement, he is your guy!
Ever since the end of my academic years I was planning a PhD. I have been putting it off for some years now, but this year I really want to research and make definitive steps in this direction. What I am not sure at this point is whether it is going to be LL.M. first and then PhD, or PhD right away. But I am going to research the offerings of universities and I plan to report about this endeavour here on the blog.
Work
It’s been more than four years now at my current job and for a while now I feel like I’ve achieved everything there was to achieve there. I do feel it’s time to look for new challenges and a whole new working environment. I am thinking international organizations and I really started to shape my resume, my language skills (hello, French, uhm, I mean salut) and my plans so that 2018 may bring on new opportunities to expand my career.
The Times They Are A Changing
(Cue: Bob Dylan from more than half a century back.) Well, this one is not really personal. I am referring to everything that’s been happening ever since the Harvey Weinstein allegations, all the stories getting spotlight, the #metoo movement, the media attention. I always said that if just one person will think twice before treating someone inappropriately, like gosh, this can cost me my career, then this whole thing was worth it. And I am happy to see it went so much further than that. There is so much more to be done, but this is going to be a whole new era for women and a better one, I am sure!
One personal and not so positive aspect is that I sort of lost an important friendship over this issue. This was a great disappointment for me to find out there was a huge gap between our thinking with this person in not just this one, but many other human rights issues. It really made me define and redefine the notion of “good people” and how I need them in my life.
Travel
2017 was such a bad year in this regard, I’ve barely traveled anywhere. I had two short trips to London, and that’s about it. As I’ve mentioned I barely even had time off of work. Now I really do want 2018 to be different. I have so many travel plans, and so many plans to incorporate my travels in this blog. I plan to visit international organizations, parliaments, universities, law libraries, an so on, that should be interesting to write about here, so be sure to watch out for that!
A few of my favorite things
Well, this is going to be more than one thing, because of course there were a couple of things I enjoyed throughout the year.
First of all, books. In 2017 I finished the Goodreads reading challenge two books short, mainly because towards the last months of the year I didn’t even have the energy to read. If I have to pick favorites I say Oprah’s What I Know for Sure and Talking as Fast as I Can by the amazing Lauren Graham. And the 2018 reading challenge matches the colors of my site! This must me a good sign!
As for TV shows, I continued watching a few. Madam Secretary is still one of my favorites, and I couldn’t possibly skip the last season of Scandal (even though I am not convinced Olivia Pope is a good person anymore, like, see above). I just love British historical settings too, I kept watching Victoria, and I have binged the second season of The Crown during the holidays.
I became a fan of podcasts in 2016, and in 2017 I subscribed to a bunch of really great ones. Besides the ones I am following real time, there are now one for every mood and occasion to listen to. I still love The West Wing Weekly, in fact I love it more than ever, I am even going to their live show in London this spring. I binged Jim Kwik’s Kwikbrain podcast in only a few week’s time, it is that good! I love Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, and I am also subscribed to some Spanish language learning podcasts too. Now I should seek out some to learn French too. Also, in December a fellow Mariah Carey fan hooked me up on the only MC podcast called The Mariah Report, which is so good and entertaining, I keep listening back to older episodes ever since.
Speaking of Mariah, her Christmas concert I went to in London was one of the highlights of an otherwise “meh” 2017 for me. I am so happy that her things are looking up again, after that epic New Year’s Eve performance I am looking forward to whatever she has to offer in 2018.
That’s all for me now. How about you? What are you excited about in the year ahead? Please share in the comments.
