My 2012 in pictures

The title explains it all. I can't start 2013 without looking back at what 2012 meant to me in a personal and professional level. If you were asleep for the last year or so, this is a pretty good summary of what 2012 was and what 2013 will be (thanks Shruti). Without further ado, here are some of my favorite memories of the year:

I started the year off back home before beginning my last semester of college, and it took me until the end of the year to go back again.

  

Finally saw a Megadeth show after a seven-year wait. It was great to see the band that made me appreciate music as much as I do now live. More importantly, I got to show off my amazing skills in experimental, avant-garde photography here...

 

Nothing says youth like being a 21 year-old in a creepy bar double-fisting cheap LITs with your buddies.  

 

The International Fashion Show marked my debut as a Mexican model (poncho courtesy of Derik Yager).

 

Double date with best friends at an Irish pub with drinks, burgers, and dessert. Doesn't get much better than this.

 

Ah, the cupola. Finally made my way up there thanks to English 304--possibly my favorite class of my college career. We were reading essays about seeing the world from a different perspective than usual and this field trip helped us breath in campus from a new and exciting view. 

The 2011-12 edition of The Mercury, Gettysburg College's literary magazine, marked the pinnacle of my work as a staff member for it. From nonfiction and fiction reader, to Managing Editor, to Co-Editor in Chief, it was great to see this baby come to life with the help of 40 other individuals dedicated to literary excellence.

 

 The last Phi Psi formal was truly an end of an era of a ride that started in January 2010. I met the greatest group of guys, had fun, and did some good things along the way. I'll miss you all.

  

 Senior skip day is still a thing in college apparently. Had a good time in the sun less than a week before graduation day with some friends. Xavier is analyzing my rock-skipping skills here (we even had a conversation with some strangers about the right rocks, form, and mentality necessary for rock-skipping).

 

There's a better graduation pic of me out there somewhere, but I opted for the one that showed many of my classmates (plus I couldn't find the other one). Sounds like a cliche, but it feels great to see all that money, hard work, and parties recognized by President Riggs and a diploma.

 

By far, the best job experience I've ever had has been with The Gettysburg Review. After a senior year fall internship with them, I had the pleasure of working with the great staff of the Review during the summer once again.

There was an epic weekend in early July where four of my best friends all had birthdays. Seeing MJ finally turning 21 after college was a relief for us all, and the weekend included visits from many recently graduated seniors. A last hurrah indeed.

 

This is literally everywhere. He somehow danced his way to my blog.

 

Alumni weekend felt like another reunion of the recent Gettysburg grads, but it felt more real. I went into it more in depth in a previous post--it was a good way to hear where everyone was headed after college.

Umm...Halloween?

 

 Just before going back home, I got to go to my girlfriend's formal and spend some time with her and friends. Sometimes, there's nothing better than spending time with those you love.

I finished the year by going to the beach for the first time in a while. Although this was the 29th, I this is pretty much how the year ended--beach, sun, friends, and drinks. Cheers 2012!

Memories of Christmas Past

Christmas is all about cliches so forgive the lack of originality in the title. I originally scrapped the idea of a Christmas post, but my friend and talented blogger encouraged me to follow through. A little over a year ago, I wrote a paper for my medieval drama class about the true meaning of Christmas as seen through several modern and medieval works of art. I talked about how most contemporary representations of Christmas are based on the materialistic idea of gift-giving, the gluttony of the feast, and the lack of regard for the Baby Jesus and the rest of Christianity. Although I firmly believe that this is the "true" Christmas, it is not the Christmas I experienced growing up. And I'm sure many of you would agree.

I grew up in a somewhat secular household, but Christmas was still celebrated here. The 24th always consisted of a big dinner at my grandparents' house that included cousins, uncles, aunts, grand-uncles, grand-aunts, and other relatives. It was a way of getting the entire family together in celebration of...well...family I guess. The dinner would always include large plates of moro(a combination of rice and beans), pastel en hoja(boiled dough with a mixture of ground beef and victuals), honey-glazed pork, wine, and a large turkey turkey with stuffing. It would be a way for adults to enjoy wine, liqueurs, and good conversation, and for kids to have one last night of anticipation capped off by fireworks before the big day.

This is how I remember them.

The next day was pure joy. We would wake up and check out the extensive collection of gifts of all sizes and colors under the tree before ripping them open. I could never get enough toys, but I hated clothes more than anything(ironically enough, it's the other way around now). From Toy Story toys, basketball hoops, Nintendo 64 games, bicycles, baseball cards, and cash, there was no way to disappoint me as a kid back then. Sure, I didn't get every single item from my absurdly long Christmas list, but kids only feel their worth in the world through stuff and entertainment. And affection I guess.

But it's different now. The holiday does not have that magical aura anymore--if this was 1997, I'd be playing Donkey Kong on my Game Boy Pocket right now. Christmas will never be as great as it was back then, and that makes me sad, but it still reminds me. It always puts things into perspective and brings back a little bit of that ecstasy back. I sometimes feel like the Grinch, overwhelmed by food and family and just the general spirit of it all, but it's the long-lasting tradition and the memories created by it that make me look forward to it every year. I warned you at the beginning that Christmas was cheesy so there's no other way to explain it (sorry). But after it's over, there's nothing left to do but move on to normalcy again, and try to bring back some of that joy with you.