Riddled with major setbacks and triumphant successes, it has been a tumultuous year indeed. Tearing my ACL and getting surgery was both a physical and mental challenge that I think I handled well given the circumstances. And the seemingly endless, stressful, and rejection filled internship search of the spring turned out to be a rewarding learning experience. It also finalized my decision to study abroad this upcoming spring, and led me to The Thirst Project, which despite initial concerns, was a really great experience.

The trials for the first half of the year were arduous at minimum, but all in all something to build on for the rest of the year. Winning top prize for Intuit’s IdeaJam was awesome and something I never saw coming. Getting a handsomely paid internship offer from Intuit’s marketing department for the summer of 2012 was even better, and made all the bad shit that happened earlier in the year completely worth it. It felt like getting accepted to CMC all over again, except maybe this time the feeling of euphoria was even better (maybe).

Overall 2011 didn’t turn out to be as bad as I thought it would. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not looking forward to its end. There’s too much to be looking forward to at the turn of the year. I’ll be snowboarding in Vail, Colorado for 5 days in January. Then I’ll be heading out to Zanzibar, Tanzania to do a Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management Program, for what will probably be the highlight and defining moment of my thus far entire college career life. Immediately following my return will be my internship with Intuit, including the all expenses paid fully furnished apartment in Woodland Hills. And finally, I will be matriculating in the fall at Columbia University in New York to complete the 2 years of 3+2 Management Engineering. 

According to wikipedia: a person’s golden birthday occurs when they turn the age of their birth day. My birthday is August 21, and I turn 21 in 2012. 

Sorry 2011, step aside because 2012 is my year.