And I managed to get to my destination for the holidays in spite of all the airline chaos.
For the year - honestly, I’ve taken a lot of time this year to work on how I deal with stress in my life and how to express what I’m feeling. I’m making a lot of progress and I can see payoffs on it.
Yearly win? Getting my team to implement logs and start using community resources more seriously is pretty cool, very proud of where its heading.
And I’d like to offer thanks. Robotics is a safe haven to so many people, and it makes me happy that I’ve spent 4 years in this program. I’m glad that the vast majority of active members on here are here as it feels even more inspiring than any kickoff, build season meeting, or competition ever really does. Thanks Chief. <3
Weekly win - I got to spend the holidays with my cousins from Singapore. Had a ton of fun, although it was freezing
This year has been absolutely incredible. From running a successful week 0 event, winning a regional, winning EI, going to champs, presenting our team to the board of Ed and getting an extension to our lab and a new cnc machine, numerous hangouts with the team, running a proper programming training for the first time in years, winning our off-season event.
And on a personal note, getting my goal for the SAT on my first try, getting a perfect PSAT score, celebrating my grandparents 50th anniversary, receiving a grant for my research project such that I can make it even better than before, volunteering for my first FLL event.
My year was an absolute dream. Thank you to everyone who made things possible. I wish that next year will be as good as this one was.
Off this week, so that’s been too low-key for anything I’d think of as a “win”
For the year? That’s easy: my team had the best year in our history. Won their first blue banner (UNC Pembroke event), made it all the way to the finals of the NCDCMP, finished ranked 3rd in the district, made the team’s first trip to Worlds, and hosted two highly successful off-season events this fall (and won both of them.) Now they really have their work cut out for them in 2023, since it’s almost entirely the same group of students, as only three seniors graduated (but no pressure team, really ) All in all, a banner year regardless of what else happened (and plenty did, not all of it good by any means.)
My wife also liked her Christmas gift. Got her a Canon EOS Rebel T7 camera (I’m told this is a good camera). We tested it out on our trip to Northern Michigan this week with my dog. Gotta say, it does take some nice photos.
This has been a pretty significant year for me. In May, I entered the world of engineering management anf was asked if I wanted to manage the Engineering Verification/Validation team (and R&D lab) at Dana Lafayette. I think I’ve finally got in the groove of everything now and am really enjoying the role.
Yearly win, went through an extremely difficult period in life from March to October, successfully came out the other side and am doing better than I think I ever have.
A week off work and hanging out with family and friends in a fun location all week (with no travel snafus) is a huge personal win - especially with kickoff coming up in a few days.
Annual win: well, it has definitely been a ride. We founded a brand new team with limited-experience students and mentors (but not a rookie team in the eyes of the current rules) and went from a completely empty workshop (no tools, no robot parts, no furniture or computers) in Dec 2021 to competing weeks 2,4,6 and 8 in March-April 2022 and then continuing to build a really awesome community of students, mentors, volunteers and sponsors throughout the rest of the year.
Had a great Christmas, spent a lot of time with family and friends, my apartment didn’t have any pipes burst and flood during the freeze. Overall, things went well
Yearly win:
Getting even more involved with FRC. I volunteered for the first time and very much plan on continuing to do so. I met some absolutely fantastic people on those two fields. I got to try my hand at game announcing and will be doing that for the foreseeable future. I get to talk about FRC to a live audience on twitch thanks to FUN now.
All these things made what would have been a very difficult year much easier to deal with. Having FRC stuff to look forward to and putting myself out there is absolutely my yearly win.
Yearly Win:
2022 has been the most eventful year that I think I’ve had. My mental state has been poor throughout the last few years but as of recently its been getting better every day and its nice to know that I’m not constantly losing my head. I’ve been seeing therapy for over a year now and its been a meaningful journey to say the least, I’ve found out a lot more about myself and its a massive release of stress to just feel like myself again. I’ve also had the benefit of amazing family members, friends, and mentors who are the most supportive bunch of peeps I’ve ever known, Its hard to imagine living without them at all. I’m looking forward to new and exciting ventures as the new year approaches, the mystery of the unknown looks appealing as always.
I’m ready for the next year, and the next season to come as I’ve done copious amounts of research, theorizing and most importantly, obsessing with unnecessary details lol. Its gonna be one heck of a year.
Weekly win: Time off, lots of it, with a couple of slow days at work to break that up. And, I survived the Christmas Eve and Christmas day services on the light board!
Yearly win: I’m still alive, and raring to go for another season.
This week - My coworker came back to the office for the first time since having her baby, which was pretty exciting! We got to see each other three times this week actually, up from the more recent normal of once, which is always nice.
I got to take the busses and trains a lot, and cross the Bosphorus quite a few times lately, which I really enjoy. I don’t have good pictures because it’s usually in the evening and crowded, and night shots from a moving bus don’t work, but the view off the bridge is magical.
Also I got to see an old friend who I need to make more time to see more often.
Wins for the year - I was honored to stand with two of my friends as they got married this year. That was pretty cool. Also I was able to come and go from those weddings, across the ocean, by my own financial means, which is new for me. Before this year I really only travelled for work because I didn’t have to pay for it. I think I took one trip abroad in 2016 before this on my own, but that was only mostly on my own, I still had some help with it. So that’s a pretty big win.
Weekly win: Only one kid (plus her husband and dogs) managed to make it through the snow for Christmas. But 2 kids and my wife’s brother and family made it on the 28th.
Yearly wins: I completed my recovery from knee replacement surgery, managed to retire, and started another volunteer position.
) All in all, a banner year regardless of what else happened (and plenty did, not all of it good by any means.)
