I’ve always been a firm believer in that you are who you surround yourself with. Never have these words been truer than during the past year or so. Fascinated by the way people operate – everything from their coffee order to the secrets they’ll take with them to the grave – I found comfort in taking pictures and videos of any moment that I wanted to remember. The problem with this, I want to remember everything. This piece of writing is exactly that: an ode to humanity, to the people who make me who I am and the experiences that I never want to forget, with a few (attempted) wise words in between.

It would be callous of me to begin this piece of writing with anything other than a thank you to the school that has allowed me to figure out what I like, what I dislike, and what I absolutely adore. If you ask me what I’m doing after I graduate, I still won’t have an answer for you, but I do know that I’m a lot closer to figuring it out than when I started. Accepting that I don’t have to limit myself to my degree has opened up doors of opportunities, and that I can admire science without sacrificing art. My piece of advice for anyone unsure of what they want out of life: you have to try it all. There’s no better time than now; you have more to gain than you ever have to lose. 

Having a creative outlet has always been a constant in my life. Writing, modelling, pinterest board creation, the options are limitless. What I’ve learned about taking every opportunity to surround myself with creative people is that it becomes so much easier to figure out who you are and what you want. There is a fine line between completely immersing yourself in the work of another person enough to appreciate it while being sure not to doubt your own creative ability. I’m a strong believer in creating, no matter the result. Write it down, draw it out– as long as it’s tangible and not just an idea floating around in your mind until the next best thing comes along to have its presence dissipate. Creativity doesn’t have to mean the same thing to everyone, and that’s truly one of the parts that I admire the most about it. Whether it’s an outfit, a sports play, or a new recipe, all of it has value in one way or another and it’s important that the creation of all of them are equally appreciated and recognized. 

If there’s one thing that I’ll never take for granted, it’s traveling. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that loves visiting new countries and experiencing different ways of life. If my dad has taught me anything, it’s that you’re never going to connect with other people if you don’t make an effort to listen to them. He makes a point of getting to know people no matter where we are: in an airport, on the beach, or just in the line for the grocery store. More often than not, he finds something in common with whoever he’s talking to. Even though my sister and I brush it off as just him being an embarrassing dad, I know that the both of us admire that quality more than he knows. Coming back home always makes me value my life just a little more and it gives me a better sense of appreciation for the people in it. I don’t think familiarity always breeds contempt, especially when it comes to whenever you call home. Life is meant to be lived outside the confines of your comfort zone, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little bit of relief on a flight back home.

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays. The one day of the year when I’m reminded of another year that’s passed, with the underlying fear of getting older and never doing enough with the time that I have. Sometimes I forget that the people around me, and frankly everyone else on Earth, are simultaneously getting older too. There’s comfort in the thought that we really are all in it together and that everyone's time here is finite. The people who I choose to spend my life with are so valuable to me because they all have a unique and cherishable influence on my character. Birthdays are a celebration of another year older, but they’re also a celebration of the person you’ve become and the person you will be

It was the 3rd month of first year and I was looking for housemates to live with for the next few years of school. I would never have thought that a random google form on a Facebook group chat would introduce me to some of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Moving in with people you’ve never even met before is an odd concept and seems to be a recipe for disaster, yet sharing some of our weirdest secrets without even knowing the names of each other's moms is an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. The parties and late nights are fun, but it’s the morning kitchen debriefs and the moments when we forget that we’ve been talking for 3 hours that I’ll cherish forever and ever.

The people that I miss the most, the ones who really have shaped me into the person I am, and the girls whose wedding parties I’m already guaranteed a spot in. There will never be enough words to describe the impact my childhood friends have had on my life, and I’m scared to try in the slightest chance of messing it up. Purposefully or not, they’ve provided me the luxury of never being judged for a mistake, never having to worry about being too forward, and never not having someone to talk to when I need it the most. These are the kinds of people you hold onto forever and never let them go, and I feel sorry for the version of myself in another lifetime who doesn’t have these people in her life. They don’t need me to remind them of how much they mean to me, but it never hurts to. 

To close off my attempted ode to humanity, it would only be appropriate to include a quote from the author that has made me fall in love with writing and given me a new sense of appreciation for the words of others. 

“I'm not telling you to make the world better, because I don't think that progress is necessarily part of the package. I'm just telling you to live in it. Not just to endure it, not just to suffer it, not just to pass through it, but to live in it. To look at it. To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances. To make your own work and take pride in it. To seize the moment. And if you ask me why you should bother to do that, I could tell you that the grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that's what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it.”

– Joan Didion

Either behind the camera or in front of it, I know that there’s a place for me in the chaos of this world, and I have the people who know me just a little bit better than I know myself to thank for that.