Sophomore year was a good year! I can say that! I now have another 32 units under my belt, decided to declare a minor in creative writing, and feel like I’m at the best place I’ve ever been with my writing and dancing. Allow me to elaborate.

After wrapping up this year, I’ll be finished with my lower division classes, basically meaning I’m now an upperclassman. That trips me out, I remember how it felt when I arrived at my junior year of high school, and now I’ve arrived at my junior year of college! Junior year of high school was not a good year (see: American Horror Story: My Junior Year), but college will be, I can feel it. I signed up for a full schedule of classes I’m actually excited for, and am all set to start choreographing something I feel really passionate about.

Speaking of choreography, I got to see my own choreography be performed on stage! For my final project in Choreography III, I had to choreograph a dance based off of a myth. Me, being the mythology nerd I am, delved deep into my favorite story, Persephone and Hades. I got to work with the most receptive and adaptive dancers who were willing to put up with me changing things up every so often. I nearly cried at dress rehearsal, I was in love with watching my vision being lived out onstage.

As far as my personal dance progress, I feel like I grew a lot this semester, and I fell out of a mini-slump I had fallen into. Dancing felt good again, I found a passion for improv again, and I felt excited to get up every morning to go to class. Who would’ve thought — me, the least morning person to ever exist — looking forward to 9 am classes? I’m lucky to be dancing in this program under this faculty with a group of people I’m grateful to call my friends.

And then there’s my writing. I took all of winter break to focus on poetry, and wrote nearly an entire book’s worth (wink wink). I found a new passion for performing at open mics and variety shows. I got to judge a talent contest alongside the Santa Clara poet laureate, and even got to headline and host my own open mic! When I tell you I’ve never been more in love with writing, it’s true. Although I’m a little burnt out on poetry from that period of non-stop writing over winter break, I have plenty of poems to perform to get me through a few months. I’ve even gotten back into writing fiction, something I hadn’t done in almost a year. I was also voted incoming vice president of the writing club I attend weekly!

Academia-wise, sophomore year was fantastic. And I’m happy to report that I can say the same for my personal life. While moving away for school was the best decision I could have made, I treasure every break when I can go home to visit my friends and family. My relationship with my friends back home has never been better, and when we get together it’s nothing but laughter and memories to look back on. In San Jose, I’ve solidified the friendships I made last year and also made several beautiful new friends ... and one special more-than-a-friend. Oh, and did I mention I got a job? Although my mental health is still a daily struggle, I can honestly say I’m in a good place, a really good place.