🌟 Reaching for the Clouds: A Reflection on 2024 🌟

Hey, friends! Welcome to the first post of the year on Anna's Corner. 🎉 As we step into 2025, I want to take a moment to look back at 2024 and it was a year that challenged me, taught me a lot, and helped me grow.

Last year was all about stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching for the clouds. ☁️ Whether it was school, personal growth, or fun experiences, 2024 showed me how much I can do when I put in the effort. Here’s a quick look at what I’ve done!

I worked on many different aspects of my life and I wanted to share with y'all. Starting with: Academic.

I worked so hard and the following are my favorites from my courses.

Lab Wins: My BCA assay experiment with ovalbumin gave me an awesome R² value of 0.997. It felt like a big accomplishment! And I know I ate 💅🏾

Enzyme Kinetics: I studied the kinetic properties of alkaline phosphatases in Biochemistry, which was really interesting.

Sequence Work: I analyzed the sequence of the TAB5 alkaline phosphatase, which was tough but rewarding.

Notes: The class itself wasn’t the most exciting part of my schedule. Sitting in lecture at 10:30 in the morning, trying to stay focused, wasn’t exactly ideal, it definitely felt like a challenge some days. The material was interesting, but the delivery in lecture didn’t always hold my attention. However, the labs were a completely different story. I really enjoyed getting hands-on experience and diving into experiments, even though some of the lab sessions felt long and a bit draining at times. Despite that, those practical moments made the class more engaging and gave me a better understanding of the concepts we were learning. They reminded me why I enjoy science so much,putting theory into practice and seeing results firsthand was always rewarding!

This image is the SDS-page of each the proteins we did. This lab was fun!

In research methods, we spent some time titrating, and it immediately took me back to my general chemistry days. The process felt familiar yet slightly intimidating, measuring, swirling, and watching for that subtle color change brought back memories of my first attempts in the chem lab. Even though I don’t think I’ve fully mastered the technique, it was still a fun experience. There’s something satisfying about the precision and patience required, even when it doesn’t go perfectly. It reminded me how much I enjoy hands-on work in the lab and how every experiment, no matter how simple, builds on skills I’ll need in the future.

My absolute favorite classes of 2024 were Organic Chemistry 2, Forensic Science, and Physics! 🔬✨ Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I loved them, but I should probably move on to the rest of my reflection. 😅 Let’s keep it going! 💡

 In personal growth and acheiments, I grew both personally and creatively. I spent a lot of time balancing my relationships and friendships while reflecting on who I am, and it helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. I also got more creative with my writing, blending science and imagination, and found that it was a fun way to express myself. I have a spread of photos from this year that will share noe.

I went on a digital drawing craze this year, and it has honestly been so much fun! 🎨 I started drawing everything from facial structures to intricate landscapes, experimenting with different techniques and styles. It was such a creative outlet for me, and I found myself completely absorbed in each piece I worked on. Even though I’ve been drawing for a while now, this year felt like I really began to find my groove. The best part is, I’m still doing it right now! I’ve made it a part of my regular routine, and it’s been so fulfilling to see my progress.

One of my recent projects has been a Christmas story illustration. I’m pouring my heart into it, and I really hope it turns out as beautifully as I envision it. 🎄✨ There’s something magical about creating a visual story, especially when it’s tied to such a cozy and nostalgic time of the year. It’s been a challenge, but the joy I get from the process is definitely worth it. I’m excited to see where this drawing journey takes me next!

This year, I also painted, which was a whole new creative adventure for me! 🎨 My first painting of the year really set the tone, and as the months went by, I ended up creating a set of five pieces. They were post stamps. Each one felt like a step forward in exploring my artistic style and vision. I’m proud to say that they’re all displayed in my room right now, adding a personal touch to the space. I’m really drawn to the color palette I used for these paintings—it’s soft, calming, and earthy, and it helped shape my aesthetic a lot.

If you check out my Pinterest page, you’ll definitely see that same vibe reflected in the pins I save and the overall feel of the board. It’s like my paintings were a visual introduction to the style I gravitate toward, and they’ve influenced how I curate the rest of my creative space and online inspiration. It’s so cool to see how one medium like painting can shape your entire creative direction! @annascornerescape

---

Some fun things I did this year included seeing a theater production called The Maids. 🎭 Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of it (oops, my bad!), but it was held at a nearby college and it was really good. The acting was top-notch, and I got to pretend was cultured for a night and it was a 10/10 experience! 😎

As for concerts, I managed to see two: Ateez and Glass Animals. Big shoutout to my friends who made the whole concert experience unforgettable! 🙌

A memory from the Ateez concert was that it got delayed because of rain in New York—yep, typical New York weather 😅. But once they finally hit the stage, all the rain worries flew out of my head and I had an absolute blast. It was like the rain was just a bad memory, and we were all there to live. 🌧️💃

Now, the Glass Animals concert was a different vibe. It was so hot, I’m pretty sure I was sweating my entire body weight off, but luckily, I had a life-saving water ice (aka Italian ice) to cool down. 🍧😌 However, I had the unique honor of sitting between two dudes who didn’t know what deodorant was. Let’s just say the air was... a little less fresh than expected. 😷 It smelled like a mix of bad B.O. and regret, but hey, at least we were rocking out to some great tunes! 😂 A concert memory I won’t soon forget!

 On top of that, I had some personal milestones that made the year feel extra special: I read 64 books 📚! It was amazing to escape into so many different worlds and gain new perspectives. I also started a new hobby—journaling ✍️. It's been an awesome way to organize my thoughts, reflect on my days, and stay creative. 2024 truly felt like a year of exploration and discovery!

Lastly, I want to give a huge shoutout to my 21st birthday trip! 🎉 To everyone who came, I am forever grateful. You guys made it unforgettable, and I seriously can’t thank you enough. 🙏 So, here’s the story of the trip that made it out of the group chat (because we all know it’s a big deal when that happens 😎). Let’s dive into the adventure! 🌟

For my 21st birthday trip, I went to Windham, NY with some awesome friends, and it was a blast! 🎉 We stayed at this cute Airbnb that had a pool, though we only swam once (because who has the energy for more swimming after all the fun?). 😅 (JK) Still, it was a vibe!

For the last night, we had a BBQ that was absolutely delicious! 🍗🥩 We grilled up some chicken, juicy steak cuts, shrimp, and paired it all with rice and this yummy salsa, talk about a feast. Definitely a perfect way to wrap up the trip. 😋

As for the activities, we got pretty creative and kept the fun going:

• We had a presentation night, which was surprisingly fun and turned into a hilarious experience. Everyone got super into it! 🎤
• There was also a clay art night, where we all tried our hand at creating something unique (spoiler: some of us were better at it than others... 😆 (ifykyk).
• We went to a farm and picked fruits, which felt super wholesome and “summer vibes” 🍓.
• And we also did some good ol’  bowling 🎳

The trip lasted from July 25th-28th, and it was one of those weekends filled with memories, laughter some madness, and a ton of good food. Can’t wait to make even more memories next year! 💖

Thanks a million for reading this post! 🙏 I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it—trust me, I was having a blast! 🎉 Be sure to tune in for Saturday’s post, because you won’t want to miss it! 😜 Catch you then! ✨