Is there something (a person, a cause, an idea) that you want to investigate more fully in the coming year?

I’m feeling really invigorated to learn all kinds of things this year. In particular, I’d like to read as many feminist nonfiction books as I possibly can. I want to join the ranks of strong, independent, outspoken women in this country and to feel more confident in myself. I’m particularly interested in learning about fierce women of color.

Last year, I guess I told myself I'd be excited to read my answer. I was right! Remembering what I said about wanting to dive deeper into two (very different) things - food/cooking and democracy/elections - makes me proud of the way I stuck to those goals, in both a personal and academic/professional way. I definitely produced something of which I am proud. This year, I want to investigate New York more fully. That sounds easy, but I mean it. I want to investigate its geography and its gems. I want to visit at least four of the boroughs (sorry, Staten Island); I want to shake up my running routes more often, and see the other sides of Manhattan; I want to try new food; and lastly, I want to meet new people. I'd feel lucky if at this time next year, I could say I've made genuine friendships outside of my Northwestern/Greenhill/etc. bubble. By investigating New York more fully, I want to try to make it my home - if not forever, then at least for a little bit. I would be proud of feeling that way.

There isn't one person that I want to investigate, but rather my family. I'd like to finally accomplish my goal of creating a family tree book that contains information on both sides of my family. Inside there would be anecdotes and stories about the family, our genetic makeup, and cherished family recipes. It would be something people could keep and add on to annually if they wanted.