This year had been full of learning, making, culture, and work. It’s flown by, and I wanted to share a few of the accomplishments that I’m proud of from this crazy year in New York.

I started the second semester of grad school in January after a whirlwind first semester. I developed a better school-life balance and regularly had dinners with Dan, a huge improvement. I discovered my love for designing smart objects, and my project, with Rae Milne, from that class won an honorable in Interaction Design from the Core77 Design Awards. My Chameleon Bag from first semester won runner-up in the DIY category in the same awards. I finished out the semester with a group project for the Wanted Design event during Design Week that was mentioned in the New York Times. That project took a lot of work and coordination, and it was very rewarding to see how successful it was. 

Dan and I explored New York during May and June, and I used this time to practice and improve my photography. I got to meet my new niece for the first time and fell in love with her cute, chubby cheeks. I also taught myself to bake sourdough bread from my own starter, and it was some of the best bread I’ve ever made! We spent July in Michigan, and I kayaked for the first time in years. 

Back to New York in August, I spent the month working at Etsy’s headquarters in Brooklyn documenting their company culture through photography. I cherish the time I had there and met so many wonderful people. I also got to flex my photography skills with my new camera body, a Canon 5D Miii. 

In September I started my third semester, and final year, of grad school. I began my thesis, and even though I’ve felt lost and confused many times during the semester, my topic has remained unchanged and still holds my interest, not an easy feat. I showed projects at Maker Faire, and had one featured in a preview article in Timeout New York magazine and online. In October I made my favorite Halloween costume ever, a full Tardis outfit, utilizing my electronics skills to make a light-up fascinator. All my classmates dressed up for our class on Halloween; our first Halloween together because Sandy took away the holiday last year. 

I finished up the year seeing a variety of plays and musicals with beloved actors: Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, and Betrayal with Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. I also finished the semester strong with some of the best presentations I’ve given, with much preparation and practice. In addition to school work, I completed a freelance writing piece for Make Magazine, which I’ll post more about when it’s published next month. 

Overall, in 2013 I grew majorly in many areas: photography, time management, leadership, and baking. I’m really excited to see what’s in store for 2014, especially because of the goals I’ve set for myself and the big move coming in July. We’re not sure where we’re going yet, depends on the jobs available, but there will be more adventures and changes after graduation. For now, I’m thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had from this time in New York City.