Dear, Readers – welcome back to Letters from Liz!
It’s pretty crazy to think about writing this post, particularly because 2016 feels like it was only a couple of years ago; not a decade. If you think I’m going to be a mess next year writing blog posts for the blog’s tenth anniversary, prepare for me to be super nostalgic in this post.
Without further ado… where was Liz in 2016?
In 2016, I was in my senior year of college, entering my last semester as an undergraduate. I was taking four classes: Linguistics, American literature, Fiction Writing, and Acting II. I was a 22 year old aspiring screenwriter, hoping to get accepted to my dream graduate film school to pursue my passion at the time.
I entered the year wanting to document this monumental year; I decided to write a journal entry every day of the year to then read back at the end of it. I took that journal with me everywhere and wrote in it whenever I felt the end to document something. It’s something I still do, as I currently document 2025 in a journal as well.
My senior year of college was my favorite one of them all; it was the first time I actually made friends in my classes and wasn’t afraid of being myself with them. Most of my friends came from my acting classes, notably the best class I took and the one I cherish the most out of my undergrad experience. It was a shame that I was graduating that year; I wished I had found these group of people earlier in my college career so that I was able to spend more time with them. Still, I think they came at the perfect time in my life.
My friends came at a point where I was struggling a lot at home, dealing with some difficult situations that carried a lot of guilt and shame. These people made my days feel so much better, and it’s crazy to see the paths that they took after graduating CSI. One of them graduated with their MPH, of Masters of Public Health. One of them is now a tattoo artist in Florida. One of them is now a mother. One of them I get to see everyday since we work at the college as staff members now! I am so honored to have call them my friends, and I truly hope that they all continue to do well in their own paths of life.
Also, just to outdate myself some more, here is the official indicator that this was 2016: the Snapchat dog filter.
In 2016, I spent most of my time on my off days with my partner, who had just moved into their first apartment in Brooklyn. Nights consisted of us hanging out with large groups of people, including his family and friends and his roommate. It was truly the type of apartment anyone in their early 20’s dreamed of having, and for me it was a good place to relax and escape after a long day of classes, or if I just needed some time away from home. I am forever grateful to have been a part of that era, seeing my partner grow into his own.
On Valentine’s Day, my childhood dog, Pal, has passed away at our home in his sleep. It was truly my first ever pet loss. My family got Pal in 2001 from an adoption event at Petco. He was just 2 months old, and just as goofy as he was as he got older. This loss really got the best of me, and I distinctly remember having plans to see my partner for Valentine’s Day that year too. I remember waking up at 4 o’clock in the morning in tears, telling my partner I had a dream about Pal, and that he was still alive and well.
He was buried in Pennsylvania at my grandparent’s house, next to the other dogs that had passed earlier that year: Bear, Molly, and Emma, and where my grandfather’s ashes would later be spread. I like to believe that Pal was rested in the place that he enjoyed the most whenever we went to visit.
Sadly, I did not get into the grad film school I desperately wanted to get into. I guess you can say life has different plans for me. I was offered an automatic admission into the English Masters program at my college; a program that was currently going through a revamp of requirements and offered their students a chance to be a part of it. I was stuck in a place, not completely feeling fulfilled with my bachelor’s degree and wanted more. I decided to take the offer, starting grade school later that year for the Fall 2016 semester.
It is where I first met my mentor and now friend, Ro; or Professor Carlo in 2016. I was in her “Teaching of Writing” grad class, learning something that never in a million years did I think would become something I was passionate about. Throughout the semester, I became really comfortable in her class once I realized not all grad school professors are intense and scary. She was in her second year teaching at my college, and only 9 years my senior. By the end of the semester, I already knew I wanted to write my Master’s thesis about writing studies in first year college classrooms and immediately asked if she would be my thesis advisor when the time came around. I was grateful that she said yes, introducing me to a type of writing I did not know I even had in me. I truly believe because of Ro, I am now a better writer. Truly, I am where I am today because of Ro’s guidance and her willingness to mentor me professionally once I graduated from grad school.
2016 in a nutshell was a really good year for me, depsite the struggles I went through behind the scenes. I made the best of what I had, and went into the new year without any pre-notion on how the year was going to go. It was surprise, in my opinion, and I think a pivotal point in my journey of growth.
Who would think that a year later, this blog would be born…but that’s a different story for a blog post in next year’s celebration. 😉
Letters From Liz. 