4D II: Self Inventory

We were tasked to list major experiences in our life and categorise them into personal themes. I’ve sorted mine into three categories:

Independence

  • Taking a gap year was a huge and scary decision, because I always thought I would go straight to university after I got my diploma. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made, and it made me grow up.
  • Before I got into design, I was sure for a long time that I would be a journalist. I was an editorial intern for six months, and when my first article got published with my byline, it was a really huge milestone for me. My bosses believed in my work and let me work on stories independently.
  • During my gap year, I was a graphic design intern at an online magazine. It was a really insane and fun period in my life, and my boss gave me the opportunity to be directly involved in many big projects. One of them was a print guide for tourists in collaboration with Singapore Tourism Board, and seeing the final proofs for a layout I helped create meant a lot to me.

Family ties

  • My extended family had a partial falling out due to money issues. I was (and still am) really disappointed and sad that a couple of adults I used to look up to turned into completely different people when inheritance was at hand.
  • My sister gave birth to her first child almost 2 months ago, and my family instantly fell in love with baby Ethan. I always get excited when I know I’m about to visit him, and I almost always don’t want to put him down.

Travel

  • I did a road trip in Sydney, Australia in July 2015 with my boyfriend and it was such a lovely adventure. I felt so free, away from commitments and demands. We had a perfect itinerary of just the right amount of nature and the city.
  • As a graduation trip, I went to Bali with some of my closest friends in 2014. We were younger and more reckless then, and we made some pretty stupid decisions. All 7 of us got into minor motorcycle accidents throughout the trip, and we almost drowned when a strong current swept us away. It was a fun trip, but it made me realise how complacent we were for the sake of fun.

 

At first, doing this self-reflecting exercise didn’t seem too big of a deal, but since compiling a list of personal major moments and milestones, it’s painted a clearer picture of my personality, and how my experiences and feelings make me the person I am today. It’s also interesting to think of these personal themes that innately flow through me.