After an incredibly short winter vacation I’m back in New York and working on my 2016 state of mind.

Sunset at Steven’s Pass. One reason I didn’t really feel like returning to New York.

Some exciting news: Yesterday I started my internship at Democracy Now! I got to watch the show, meet my fellow interns, and have brunch with the show’s staff. At the end of the day I left with a smile on my face, excited for my future. (By the way, if you don’t listen/watch/read Democracy Now! you should definitely start.)

And now for a bit of reflection:

I used to make resolutions. Then I changed it to “year goals.” Now I’ve given up on the idea altogether because I realized that the world doesn’t care whether or not I lose 10 pounds.

It’s a liberating feeling.

Sunrise on New Year’s day from Penn Cove.

After doing the polar dip on the island (for the second year in a row! Why do we do this to ourselves?!).

One of the hardest things about growing older is realizing with extreme clarity all of the problems in the world. But one of the best things about being still so young is feeling like there’s this possibility that I could save everyone.

Putting “save the world” as my New Year’s Resolution is pretty unachievable, but I kind of want to anyway.

Icy day on the wharf–Mt. Baker looks like it’s made of frosting.

I was very sad to leave Washington and come back to the city. Lack of natural beauty can make me kind of miserable (nothing is like the PNW), but I’m feeling hopeful. I think that people make resolutions because when the year changes it’s like a second chance, or a fresh start. Whether this is an illusion or not, I still feel it and I feel like the upcoming months are going to be good.

(I should end this blog post before I get into an existential rant about the illusory existence of time.)

Did you make any resolutions this year? Or have they gone completely out of style?

XOLily