2024 Recap and Thoughts About 2025

I love looking back on the year and seeing how much has changed while also seeing what has remained the same. Change is the only constant in life so it would be strange if things were the same as they were a year ago. 

I dove into 2024 taking on a pile of commitments not knowing exactly how it was going to play out. I had acquired two club presidencies, one vice-presidency, SAVMA Symposium Fundraising Chair, a teaching position for an undergraduate course, and three student representative positions. To top it off I also decided that it was a good time to work through a veterinary acupuncture certification. Oh, and the actual vet school thing which is kind of important to prioritize. Little to say, it was a LOT at once and as I am coming to the other side of some of those responsibilities, I can confidently say that I don’t regret a single one. 

Each role has opened countless doors introducing me to people and opportunities that I would have missed. I would have never attended the 2024 SAVMA Symposium in Tennessee, the Veterinary Leadership Experience in Idaho, the AVMA Convention in Texas or experienced PetVet365 in Colorado! These trips were accompanied with priceless memories and life lessons, all of which have impacted the person I am today. 

If I hadn’t explored the route of integrative veterinary medicine, I would have never had the opportunity to be on a podcast that ended up being the bridge to an incredible mentor and even more an amazing friend. Furthermore, I would have never attended the AHVMA conference and would have missed out on meeting even more wonderful people and learning about the different aspects of holistic medicine. A year ago I knew very little about integrative veterinary medicine, fast forward to today and I can confidently say that it is something that I am truly passionate about and want to utilize as a veterinarian. Saying “yes” to these things in the moment was not always comfortable but the growth that has come from these experiences is unmatched. 

Reflecting on how a year has passed reminds me that in the thick of it, the magic of life can be missed. Obviously, not everything is always rainbows and sunshine. The day-to-day rat race can get exhausting and sometimes just getting through the day is an accomplishment but when you have a second to pull out of the chaos and reflect, life is a pretty amazing thing.

I have always believed that things don’t just happen by coincidence, people and opportunities were placed in my life for a reason. This year was a perfect example of that. Approaching life with an open attitude allowed me to embrace these opportunities and develop as a person. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without each one of them. Spending time at home during the holidays gave me time to catch up with some of these special people. Time is such a precious commodity and with school, my time at home is becoming increasingly limited. The ability to spend quality time with “my people” and have meaningful conversations was priceless. In addition to spending time with friends, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with my family. My family has been and will always be my rock. I can count on them for everything and spending the past three weeks with them running, biking, and hiking was such a blessing. They have supported me through this whole journey and I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without them.

I am so fortunate to have a support system spanning across California from SoCal to San Luis Obispo and now to Davis. This past year Davis truly has begun to feel more like home and that is all thanks to the connections and friendships that have grown over this past year and a half. I realize that this is not something that everyone has, and am incredibly grateful for this support. 

2024 was a year packed full of adventure and learning. Not just classroom learning, but self-reflective learning. The more situations that I put myself in both good and challenging, the more I learned about myself, my values, and the person that I wanted to become. It has also helped me understand and explore the type of veterinarian I aspire to be.

As we move into 2025 there is always the wave of resolutions and goals for the new year. I have never been huge on resolutions. They may work for some people and that’s great but flipping the calendar to a new year is not enough to motivate me to do or change something. Personally, there needs to be a bigger “why” behind a goal or objective. Here is a little example… If you know me, you know I love to workout and move my body in different ways. This is because I want to stay healthy and strong for my current and future self. I want to be the best version of myself so that I can show up for others and do the things that I love for as long as possible. It has never been for aesthetics or for anyone else, the motivation is based on an internal drive rather than external factors. 

I do however love picking a word(s) for the year and trying to live in alignment with that word. This year my words are intentionality and presence. 

Here is what I mean by that…

Intentionality; I want to be purposeful with my actions. I don’t want to just get into a rut and do things on autopilot. This relates back to finding my “why” behind what I am doing. If the reason that I am doing something isn’t aligned with how I want to live my life, it is time to step back and reassess. This also pours over into how I spend my time which is where presence comes into play. When I am doing something, I want to be 100% present and focused on the task at hand. I can sometimes find myself getting distracted by a million other things when I am supposed to be doing something that’s in front of me. When I am with people, I don’t want to be thinking about the laundry list of things that have to be done, or where I’m running to next. If I cannot commit to being present in a situation then I need to reassess my priorities and see how I can tweak things or opt out. “No” is a complete sentence and is something that I need to remember when I can’t show up the way I want to. 

Presence is something that I find myself struggling with as life gets increasingly busy. Alerts, alarms, and notifications are constantly fighting for every bit of my attention, and learning how to filter out the noise and be focused on the here and now is something I am constantly working on. I also find it super easy to get into the train of thought of “what’s next?” For many of us vet school has always been the dream. While our paths may not have been linear, they have all revolved around some common goal and now we are at a place where the future options are endless and there isn’t a routine “next step”. There are so many things to factor in and I personally do not know exactly what I want to do upon graduation. If I am completely honest, this is a little freaky for me, ok maybe it’s more than a little freaky, it’s straight up scary! I have always had a rough idea regarding the next step of life and what I needed to do to achieve it. While I do have potential plans and ideas of what I would like my future to look like, things are constantly changing, and opportunities are always in flux. I’m starting to realize, and continuously remind myself that not knowing is ok and perfectly normal. I don’t need to have everything figured out as a second-year vet student. I have a strong trust in God and know that He will lead me to where I am supposed to be. This is all much easier said than done but letting go and knowing that I don’t have to, nor can I control everything alleviates some of the pressure of having to have life “figured out”.  

Another reason that I picked “intentionality” and “presence” as my words can be tied back to a quote by Viktor Frankl that was continuously referenced at VLE. It has stuck with me, and I think that it is something everyone should at least hear. "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Taking a pause and assessing a situation before jumping to a response is a way that intentionality can play out in daily events. That pause is as simple as taking a breath and oxygenating the brain so that reasonable thoughts can form. It is being present in the moment to make logical decisions. This can make a huge difference in how a situation is handled and is a mindset that I want to continue to use going into this year. 

As I get ready to jump back into the semester and life ramps back up to the comfortable pace of 1,000 mph I think that it is important to take some time to reflect on life and what a privilege this journey truly is. As weird as it may seem, pressure is a privilege, being in school and learning is a privilege, heck living is a privilege. Gratitude is something that I heavily lean on and is a quick way that I can center myself when things seem out of whack. A simple way I do this is by changing “have to” to “get to”. 

Here are some examples…

I have to go to class/lab/discussion/study/meeting etc. 

I get to go to (class/lab/discussion/study/meeting) and learn about something new or discuss new ideas. So many deserving people wanted a spot at this school, and I was lucky enough to get one.

I have to walk my dog when I get home

I get to walk my dog when I get home. I have a healthy dog that can go on walks and is excited to see me, what an awesome gift!

I have to run/exercise this morning

I get to run/exercise this morning. My body is capable of moving and working out. How amazing is that?! So many people are physically unable to do this and would kill to have an able body.

I have to go to work

I get to go to work. I have a job with amazing coworkers, managers, and mentors plus I get to learn while I’m there, that’s epic! So many people are without a job right now and would do anything for work.

This simple swap puts things into perspective and is usually enough to change my mindset about something. Some of this may sound like it is on the verge of toxic positivity and by this point you are probably thinking I have on some heavily rose-colored glasses and you’re not wrong. I try to look at life with a positive framework which helps me navigate the hills and valleys and maximize my experience. We are all going to go through life so we might as well make the best of it and that all starts with perspective! Here’s to the start of a new year, new semester, and lots of new experiences!

Quote of the break: "I'm wearing a red blazer, I'm gong to look freaking good!" -Dad as we are all getting ready for Christmas Eve.