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Year 2024 wrap-up
The end results of the year
it was a very busy year, that has seen me accomplishing quite a lot, mostly unexpected. Things I wanted mostly fell by the wayside, but I did to some stuff.
So, in a random order.
1) I ran a bookclub that I started in October 2023. a year ago I celebrated its start, but now, after a year I celebrate myself for staying the course and not yielding to gale winds of more strong-willed members who know the best way to run a book club. I am not looking for the best way, I want my book club run my way. It is a small thing, but it was important to me.
2) I become a member of a school site council basically by inviting myself in. Again, a tiny thing, but important to me. It allowed me to see some inner workings of our school (elementary) and a district, and it also led to
3) me making and running a math club at school for 2-5 grades. Older kids participate in MOEMS math olympics, younger ones learn to solve fun math problems. I didn’t want to run it, but I wanted kids to have it, and there was nobody else ready to do it (except for one other mom, who is my partner in running it)
4) I did a reading kids club over the summer, hoping it will grow into something more than me reaign books to a handful of kids. It didn’t, since after the summer my life veered off course I planned.
5) My mother in law arrived from Kyiv, and we spent months arranging her life here. We kind of settled her, comfortably enough, I hope, even if not ideally. But well, a lot of weekends we spends driving around the Bay area looking at various living arrangements.
6) I hardly ever wrote anything, having hardly any mood and focus. I don’t want to say I didn’t have time, but when I had, I couldn’t write.
7) I read a lot. For book club and for myself.
8) I kept amusing myself with making jewelry. I love to put stuff together, but now it seems time to learn how to do it properly (so it would not break apart or scratch, or look weird).
9) I bought a lot of paper books, having accepted that this is my hoard, and I don’t care whether I or my family will every read them. I do try. It is rather funny to buy books in Russian now, when it is so much more difficult. Maybe I do want a library of my own.
10) I got summons for the jury duty, and then I got chosen and spent seven weeks going to court and being a juror. It was quite an experience, that ended up meaning a lot to me.
11) I discovered that I love California
12) I felt more comfortable with myself and my place in the world this year. And, the year that is almost over reminded us that the world is a shitty place right now, but I am kind of used to it. I am living in a post-apocalyptic world right now. Bad things happened and have been happening. And might happen in the future. But I started a math club, and kids are excited to solve complicated math problems with me. I helped to bring some actual justice in the world. I made some lives a bit better with my bookclub. I made new friends. I met wonderful people. I know a path forward. There is a wound in me that’ll never heal, but it’s ok. it’s how people live. I miss terribly my family and Russia, and I am terrified of going there, and I feel guilty for being terrified to go and see my family. It is a problem I cannot solve. But I can do other things and I am doing them. It’s not that bad.
it was a very busy year, that has seen me accomplishing quite a lot, mostly unexpected. Things I wanted mostly fell by the wayside, but I did to some stuff.
So, in a random order.
1) I ran a bookclub that I started in October 2023. a year ago I celebrated its start, but now, after a year I celebrate myself for staying the course and not yielding to gale winds of more strong-willed members who know the best way to run a book club. I am not looking for the best way, I want my book club run my way. It is a small thing, but it was important to me.
2) I become a member of a school site council basically by inviting myself in. Again, a tiny thing, but important to me. It allowed me to see some inner workings of our school (elementary) and a district, and it also led to
3) me making and running a math club at school for 2-5 grades. Older kids participate in MOEMS math olympics, younger ones learn to solve fun math problems. I didn’t want to run it, but I wanted kids to have it, and there was nobody else ready to do it (except for one other mom, who is my partner in running it)
4) I did a reading kids club over the summer, hoping it will grow into something more than me reaign books to a handful of kids. It didn’t, since after the summer my life veered off course I planned.
5) My mother in law arrived from Kyiv, and we spent months arranging her life here. We kind of settled her, comfortably enough, I hope, even if not ideally. But well, a lot of weekends we spends driving around the Bay area looking at various living arrangements.
6) I hardly ever wrote anything, having hardly any mood and focus. I don’t want to say I didn’t have time, but when I had, I couldn’t write.
7) I read a lot. For book club and for myself.
8) I kept amusing myself with making jewelry. I love to put stuff together, but now it seems time to learn how to do it properly (so it would not break apart or scratch, or look weird).
9) I bought a lot of paper books, having accepted that this is my hoard, and I don’t care whether I or my family will every read them. I do try. It is rather funny to buy books in Russian now, when it is so much more difficult. Maybe I do want a library of my own.
10) I got summons for the jury duty, and then I got chosen and spent seven weeks going to court and being a juror. It was quite an experience, that ended up meaning a lot to me.
11) I discovered that I love California
12) I felt more comfortable with myself and my place in the world this year. And, the year that is almost over reminded us that the world is a shitty place right now, but I am kind of used to it. I am living in a post-apocalyptic world right now. Bad things happened and have been happening. And might happen in the future. But I started a math club, and kids are excited to solve complicated math problems with me. I helped to bring some actual justice in the world. I made some lives a bit better with my bookclub. I made new friends. I met wonderful people. I know a path forward. There is a wound in me that’ll never heal, but it’s ok. it’s how people live. I miss terribly my family and Russia, and I am terrified of going there, and I feel guilty for being terrified to go and see my family. It is a problem I cannot solve. But I can do other things and I am doing them. It’s not that bad.