2017.

Hello to all & welcome back to Jenna Inc.!

I'm so happy to be writing again and continuing this blog of mine. I made a decision to take a break from blogging while I was in-between semesters at school. 2016 WORE. ME. OUT. Physically, mentally, emotionally, & academically. Having five weeks off from school was incredibly necessary. Sleeping in, working out, relaxing & taking care of myself was just what I needed to end out arguably one of the shittiest years on record.

But let's move on from that. It's a new year, & whether or not you fall in line with the new-age philosophy of "new year, new me", it's a great time to do some reflecting and serious thinking about different things going on in your life, whatever they may be.

Maybe you completely love your life and the way things are going for you right now. That's great! I'm happy for you and proud of you. Keep doing what you're doing. However, I feel like there's always room for improvement. Set some goals for yourself anyways, even if it's just as a motivational challenge. Make some plans and follow through.

But if you don't love everything about your life, now is the perfect time to make some changes. It's time to get organized, get serious, and establish some short-term & long-term goals. I don't know if this makes me a nerd, but I absolutely love doing this. It could just be my personality type, though (ENTJ per Myers-Briggs evaluation, thanks Odyssey).

Resolutions don't always have to be so concrete or exact. They don't have to be corny or cliché either. Don't make them if you don't intend to follow through with them, or if you don't actually want to change anything and you're just following the crowd. Do you.

I wouldn't say I have an exact resolution list, but I definitely know that there are some things that I want to try, things I want to start, plans I have for this year, and so on. They are as follows:

1) Read more.

When I was a kid, I used to LOVE reading. I'm not sure if why I don't read as much anymore is because I'm busier, I fall victim to spending too much time on social media, or a combination of the two, but I definitely want to change this. If I find a good book that I am in love with, I can and WILL tear it up & more than likely finish it within one or two days. I asked for some for Christmas, so I think this is a good start. This picture is from #GirlBoss written by Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso, and it's a pretty good motivational book from start to finish if you're a female college student.

2) Drink waaaaaay less milk.

I have almost completely given up milk. I guess being the only non-vegan in a vegan household is starting to rub off on me. I have drank an incredibly amount of whole milk over the course of my life. After watching some documentaries and learning about the horrors of milk, I've decided to begin to cut it from my life. If you're not familiar & don't know what I'm talking about or why milk is bad, do a little research and your mind will change DRASTICALLY. I won't get into too much detail right now. I'll have a glass here and there occasionally if I'm over my older brothers house having some cookies, but I told my mom to not buy any at all anymore.

3) Get a 4.0 for my last semester at college.

I've gotten amazing grades throughout my time at GCC & I don't plan on changing that at all for my final semester during Spring 2017. I plan on making the President's List again and finishing strong.

4) Get accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology.

If you know me, you know this has been my dream school since I was about 14 years old. I was waitlisted two years ago when I applied, but I'm not the same person I was two years ago. I've had so many fashion & business related opportunities through my short time at GCC, and I know this makes me way more ready and qualified. My back-up school, LIM College (also in NYC), got back to me last month and told me I was accepted into their Bachelor's program for Fashion Merchandising. One down, one to go.

5) Travel far and wide.

I am extremely lucky and fortunate enough to have the amazing and unreal opportunity to be able to go to Europe this Summer with my family. We'll be driving down from Paris to Catanzaro (where my family lives) and exploring different cities along the way. Wow did I just say that? I cannot even believe that this is even something that we are able to do. We have struggled financially in the past but certain things have fallen into place which have allowed us to take this trip. Every time I think about it, I get emotional and choked up because I know just how many people want to be able to do this, and I know that this is something that I've only dreamed about ever since I was a child. When we land, I plan on getting off the plane and literally kissing the ground. The tears will be unstoppable. If you ever have the means and opportunity to travel, DO IT.

6) Save more money.

I have a terrible habit of buying clothes & makeup after I get more than a certain amount of money in my account. But my future entails a heavy financial responsibility, so I need to be prepared and way more fiscally responsible.

My challenge for you all is to at least outline your plans for this year & figure out what you want to make happen. I'm turning 20 this year, and I don't know if it's possible to have a mid-life crisis at that age, but a lot of people do. I'm officially not a child anymore after July 24th, but the uncertainty of the future and scariness of it all has started to set in. Even the most driven and organized people get nervous about different aspects in life.