2019: a year in review

From my trip to Singapore last April

2019 was a year of changes and endings.

I finished my thesis for my graduate degree and finally graduated my Master's in Library and Information Science. I started my Master's in June 2016. I completed it in three years. Though I admit I feel nothing about it and at the time of graduation I just wanted it to be over! The thesis was the most challenging part of it but I learned a lot about research from it. Next year, I hope to start my own research projects.

My contract for my last library job ended. I worked for one year in SEAFDEC AQD Library and Data Bank and I am glad to have worked in one of the best libraries here. My job was digitizing books which is a new thing that I never studied in library school. The contract was only for a year, and though I learned a lot it's time to move on.

I managed to lose weight and started a healthier lifestyle. I have always struggled with my weight and one of my new year's resolutions was to get to a normal weight. I lost 15 kilograms or 33 pounds since starting last May. When I started, I was very near 'obese' in the BMI scale. Now, I reached normal weight and my goal is a few pounds to go. Losing weight really helped me with a lot of aspects in my life, not just physical. I feel lighter and actually more confident. Working out and eating right also made me feel good mentally. It was the best thing I did for myself and I only wish I started sooner. That was the biggest change of 2019 and I plan to continue focusing on my health this 2020.

This year, I didn't write as much in this blog. That can change this 2020 since I am now part of a great bloggers group here in Iloilo City - the Iloilo Bloggers Society which only started this year. We have big plans for next year which I am excited about. I also plan to make better library-focused content on this blog, such as detailed features on libraries and profiles of librarians.

As for other notable things: I travelled to Singapore with my mom (I wrote about my trip here - there's part 1 and part 2). The first research paper I co-authored was published in an academic journal. Though aside from that, nothing much. Life still goes on.