If you would have asked me a year ago what I would spend a significant amount of my time doing my freshmen year of college, I would not have expected the answer to be writing articles. Writing was meant to be a part of my future, no doubt. However, I did not expect the act of writing to become a weekly part of my schedule and for me to end up feeling so invested in the matter.

I joined the Odyssey community in October, and I can truly say writing an article a week for seven months has been such a rewarding experience. The constant practice of writing articles along with the multiple essays I write for class helped me improve tremendously. I owe many thanks to my Odyssey team as well as the friends and family who continued to support my journey by reading what I had to say.

I'll admit I was a bit nervous at first. It's scary putting yourself out there in any mode of communication. Letting myself be vulnerable and personal in my writing was new to me, but I am proud of the feedback I received. I'm not the type to show off my work, and I think Odyssey really opened me up to the idea of public displays of expression.

Not to mention, writing for Odyssey taught me responsibility and time management. I am happy to say there were only a few times where I waited until the Friday night deadline to start brainstorming. I figured out quickly that in order to make quality content, I needed to take my time and be purposeful with my words.

All in all, I am so grateful to have received such an amazing opportunity. The freedom to write whatever you want is not an easy thing to find, and I found it rejuvenating emotionally and mentally. And to think it all started on a whim decision to put my butt in gear and try something new. I joined Odyssey more on the aspect that it was something I would do just for the benefit of myself and no one else. I realized toward the middle of fall quarter that I needed an appropriate outlet to get my thoughts out and keep myself busy. I also saw it as an adequate opportunity to practice journalism when journalism was still a potential minor for me. Even though it is not anymore, I see the journalisistic style of writing as a beneficial skill for post-graduation.

But in the end, it was fun while it lasted, and writing for Odyssey will be something I remember forever. I look forward to reading future content from my university's Odyssey team! I am privileged to have worked along side you.