things i have learned.

so this is coming from a place of procrastination and a slight bit of welcomed boredom.

my year off has been pretty significant to me in ways that most people will never know. for me, i just wanted to document the things i have learned that i don't think i would have if i didn't take a year off from school.

1. i am emotionally stronger than i thought but i am not immune to emotional breakdowns.
2. this year has taught me to keep pushing myself. it took alot for me to go through the application cycle again without any guarantee that i would even get in anywhere but i'm so glad i did.
3. i have learned to budget, manage, and save my money more. i am one of the lucky few who have not had to rely on student loans for my undergrad but i know i am looking forward to being almost $160,000+ in debt after school. i really wanted to test myself and see how much money i could save. i have successfully saved almost $3,000. woo!
4. hard work will always pay off.
5. i will really miss dancing.
6. i love my parents so much. alot of family and family friends my parents' age are starting to croak. and i know this is a little morbid but every time i hear about another death or terminal illness, the first people i think about are my parents and what it would be like to lose them. it makes my stomach turn every time. i hope that whatever income i make as a pharmacist will allow me to take care of my parents.
7. i am really excited to go into pharmacy. i know my current job gives me a taste, but it's become a little robotic. i know i'm good at what i do but i'm looking for something different. i know i don't want to go into retail immediately--maybe, clinical work or pharmaceutical research. i know there's so much more to learn and i can't wait. i feel beyond blessed that i've found a job and a career that i love.
8. i miss studying and learning.
9. i am attached to my life in irvine. it hurts a little to think about letting it go.
10. my friends back in simi valley aren't the same anymore & i don't know if i fit in anymore.
11. patience is a virtue.
12. "if you don't have anything nice or worth saying, don't say it all." my mom has told me this over and over again and i've applied it more this year than ever before.
13. i don't work well with lazy people.
14. sometimes i take myself too seriously.
15. i still have some letting go to do.
16. i am still scared to live alone.
17. i don't know how i ever lived without tea and coffee before.
18. i've been thinking about going into some area of teaching or management after i get my Pharm.D
19. i don't have good luck with cars so i've decided i need to live in a place where public transportation is accessible.
20. i am excited for a wardrobe change--both in a casual and professional sense.