Obligatory End-of-Year Post

A lot happened to me in 2016.

Out of my fourteen goals for 2016, I only completed four, half-completed four, and failed at six.
I did not perform in a musical, get a piano student, write four pieces of nonfiction in January, host a Dutch-themed dinner party for my friends, practice voice five out of seven days in the week, or read the books that were on my reading list.
I did, however, do better at eating no sugar (I went sugar-free over the summer), exercising, prioritizing other things over the Internet, and reading nonfiction.
I re-wrote my fantasy story. I memorized and performed Sinding's "Rustle of Spring" on the piano, which you can watch here. I figured out college and, to some extent, life. Most importantly, I grew closer to God and put more emphasis on persistent prayer.

What else happened in 2016?

Well, I moved to this blog from Dolls, Books, and Things That Matter. We've had 56 good posts here, nearly all of which I am proud of. Some of my favorites have been The Long and Winding Editing Road series, which I hope to continue this year; a post on why singleness is okay; the exciting adventures of Sharon and Dudley as they try to win fortune and glory; A Shakespeare Appreciation Post on the Bard's 400th death-day anniversary; the Silmarillion Awards; and the essay I wrote about the conflicting feelings I felt when my grandpa died.

Many of my recent blog posts have been about college. That has been the biggest change in my life this year. I have met wonderful people, enjoyed lovely classes, and learned a lot about interpersonal relationships and living on my own.

March 30th marked my one-year anniversary of being migraine free.

I read fifty books. My favorites were...
-Symphony for the City of the Dead by M.T. Anderson, a biography of one of my favorite composers Dmitri Shostakovich.
-The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.
and
-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

What do I hope to accomplish in 2017?

-I want to give my blog a makeover, including changing the name to "Regarding Reading, Writing, and Sometimes Life." Additionally, I hope to post at least once a month, if not more.

-Eat less sugar and exercise more.

-Read thirty-five books (perhaps Anna Karenina? perhaps Anne of Green Gables? perhaps some Arthur Conan Doyle, of which I have many? perhaps some Herman Melville, of which I also have many?).

-Continue to do well in school.

-Find a home church in Minnesota and continue growing in my relationship with God.

-Finish my fantasy novel.

While this final goal is a big one, I have confidence that I can complete it! But, more on that in my next post.

Do you have any goals for the upcoming year?