Day 1: A few things you will never forget in 2011.

While most of my favorite moments of 2011 were already captured here, I’ll go for round 2 here.

• Love. Yafine, Barajas, Chris. Lights, screaming, bright-eyed, jumping, Turbulence, absolute bliss.
• Family driving up for [M] Showcase. After a lot of debating, a lot of planning, a lot of changing of minds - my mom put her foot down. No matter the trouble with time, getting there, etc., her and my sister would make it to my showcase. My dad even surprised us and moved his NY business trip just so he could be there as well. They drove up, watched the show, I couldn’t even have dinner with them, and they had to drive down first thing the next morning. They drove 12 hours just so they could support me and my passions. Family.
• Madrid. Mercado San Miguel, the best night of my abroad experience. Restaurant Botin, the oldest recorded restaurant in the world. Storytelling while walking around Puerta del Sol.
• Berlin. Biking around the city, experiencing the Berlin Wall.
• The Queens. In college, I’ve realized, it’s hard to find people who matter. People who are going to stay when all the fun is over. There are so many different outlets, so many groups, just so many fucking people you meet day after day, night after night, class after class, and party after party - the people never stop. Through all these different types of people, and through everyone’s respective schedules, it’s not hard - it’s actually fucking impossible - to find the people who matter. Now with all this said, I’m gonna say: I’ve found them. In my Senior year, looking back on my college experience and looking at how far I’ve come, I have found the people who I can bare my soul to, laugh with at inappropriate moments, and lean on when I simply can’t stand alone. Of all these people I’ve found, the people who rise to the top for me are my Queens. Yafine Lee, Bao Pham, and Jayton Tsai. Thank you for everything you’ve given me this semester and all the plans that we have for the future that makes what’s to come so much bigger, so much better. (See what I did there?)
• Morocco. I can’t exactly put it into words, but Marrakech is something I will never be able to forget. It was something I’ve never experienced before, and don’t know if I ever will again.
• Movement Showcase, Friday. Jayton, Bao, and I decided to choreograph again. For me, it was extremely difficult - I didn’t have the creativity, I didn’t have the passion, and I didn’t have the inspiration to get me through the semester. I simply didn’t believe in myself, but Jayton and Bao did. Our dancers did. And so on Friday, after NJBNJB closed the entire show, after Jayton and I dry-heaved and died after the curtains closed, I went backstage where I overheard a few of my dancers talking. I heard bits of “that was so much fun, that felt absolutely amazing” and “I loved it, I can’t stop thinking about it!” Everything - everything - justified. Best feeling ever.
• Movement Showcase, Saturday. I’m never nervous before a show; I don’t get stage fright. On Saturday, I was shaking, my palms were sweaty, and I didn’t think I could do it. I don’t know why this was - possibly because my family was in the audience and there were so many people I knew and wanted to impress - but I couldn’t breathe. Then Jayton found me in my dark corner (literal dark corner), took my hands, and said, “Look at me. This one’s for our dancers.” That was all I needed, I completely understood. This one wasn’t for me, this one wasn’t for NJB - it was for our dancers, and no matter how nervous I was, I was gonna give it my all. He was there for me, but more amazingly, he understood me.
• Studying abroad. 6 months, out of the country. My runnings.
• Main Stacks. Blood, sweat, tears - Team. Drinks, fun, playtime, stupidtime - Mates.
• Save the world. My stupid little twin bed. Shared secrets. Promises. Hopes. My Plan B (C, D, E, and F). Best friends.
• Them. And my choices. And my decision to move on. Attempt to move on. Moving on.
• IndustryEntertainment. My Summer internship that gave me hope for the future. Haha!
• Fall 2011. In general. Best freaking semester of my life. Thank you to everyone who was a part of it.
• 2011. Wait. Spring 2011 was pretty goddamn awesome as well. And that Summer of mine was sick. So Spring + Summer + Fall + right now (Winter) is one entire year. 2011, YOU WERE AMAZING. 2010 was one of the worst years of my life, and 2011 was such a complete 180. I love you so much. Thank you 2011. I should get you tattooed onto my forehead. <3