The Non-Immigrant Student
The Non-Immigrant Student podcast is an audio journal of my grad-school (and now corporate) journey in the United States of America.
It is an inspirational podcast that seeks to encourage and provide guidance to other non-immigrant students across the globe on how to live their best lives while fulfilling their Study/Work Abroad dreams or living far away home!
My stories reveal all the lessons I'm learning on this journey, and I honestly believe that ''If I can do it, you can do it too!''
So excited to have you with me on this journey, Welcome!
The Non-Immigrant Student
S3 E15 (Season Finale): A Gratitude Look-back on 2023 & Plans for 2024
Helllllllooo people,
It’s almost time to bid farewell to 2023, and usher in a new year! Grateful for the many of you that are still here and hoping for a bigger and better next year for all of us!
I hope this episode also inspires you to look back on the beautiful year you’ve had, what could have gone better and lessons you might have learned about life and yourself.
Sending you warm hugs from NYC, and wishing you a very wonderful new year ahead! Happy Listening :)
Much much love x Respect,
Tolu
Please rate the podcast and leave a review wherever you listen; it helps me reach other people like you. Also, follow here for more :) Thank you!
It's about me on the streets of Ithaca, they will tell you I'm popular everywhere. I mean, I'm Daniela Nira-Gil, who just came here and has friends in all sects and factions of this university MBA graduate students, undergraduate students, phd students like girl, I'm popular. Hi guys, welcome back to another episode, in fact, actually welcome back to the final episode for this season and this year on the non-American student podcast. I'm so glad we all made it to the end of 2023 for as many of you who are here, I'm really grateful and I think a lot of people too, I believe and they are grateful spirits, reflective mode and all that. And I was almost going to say that I would see you guys again next year, because if I didn't find the time to record this particular episode, I was like, no, I should make time to come back here and actually be grateful for this year and also look back on what a year 2023 has been. So today I took out some time. Today is December 29, 2023. Took out some time to actually think about, instead of waiting for next year, what I've been grateful for, to actually just look back and recount on my year and what made this year special for me or not. Yeah, so I hope you enjoyed the episode.
Speaker 1:And yes, it was just Christmas for those who celebrate, about four days ago. Merry Christmas in a rears if you celebrate. I hope you had a wonderful time. I think this is the first time I'm going to be spending Christmas alone, or maybe just my adult life, I don't remember but I did spend Christmas alone and I want to say it was fun. But I might be lying or I might be biased, you know, because I did everything to make sure that I was hyped up that day. I wore new dress, I tried to dress up in red, I was like I tried to cook for myself I'm a middle-class person, I'm turkey for myself and I did everything I could not to feel it. And then I was on call with my family all day, but it ended up nice. I had cancelled two trips because I was supposed to travel eventually. I was like I was tired of traveling eventually. There were a lot of contending bills too. It was just a lot, and I was like you know what? I'm just going to be at home and I survived it. I can't believe it. But yes, yes, yes, but I hope you've also been fine wherever you are.
Speaker 1:I would say that as the years started winding down, I started having some weird issues at work, even with my health. So of course, I was, or I've been, in a funk recently, but I'm still happy and I'm still grateful for life and you know, I'm just happy to be here. So maybe we should just jump right into it. You know, just looking back at 2023, from having goals of, you know, I said all the years saying I wanted to lose about 15 kg. You know, I said all the years also saying that she wanted to put out more episodes, which I did. You know I'm really proud of that. I also said all the years I mean, I had all these dreams, I had written out goals, you know, to achieve certain things. But I'm looking back at some of these things I otherwise achieved and I'm still very proud of it. You know, in January I realized that I came back from Nigeria. On January 7th I finished my first e-book, david and Goliath. At least, I knew that would be the only book I finished that year.
Speaker 1:Then the good layoffs hit, january 19th, of which I survived it, praise God, you know, and I still sad that I did lose a couple of friends and acquaintances at work to those layoffs. So you know it was. It was a terrible time. I also took on some more workload at work. One of my colleagues went on maternity leave so I had to step up to take most of a lot of stuff and have played, including mine. So I really did stretch myself at work and I think I became a much more effective program manager. So that's something I'm also proud of.
Speaker 1:And in February I lost a friend from university who was also a girlfriend, so a good friend of mine. So yeah, it was. It was a weird time. I spent Valentine's Day alone and single. I think that was my first time in about since I was 18. So it was. It was definitely shift. Yeah, it was definitely a lot, but I did survive and I wrote an article detailing my experience. I think it's called on my trip to New York from Texas. I know you can catch it on my medium. I also started therapy in February and I tried our hinge and I think I mentioned it on this podcast to all of you. So you guys, if you remember that, then come March I went to my first hinge date on my last, sadly and then I had the black Google orientation in Atlanta. It was my first time traveling to black my cousin. That was fun. I also traveled to a land for a friend's wedding and my mom visited me in New York City in March. So I was so happy when she came because it was definitely she was definitely so for a side for so eyes.
Speaker 1:And then April came along, at turn 27. I tried, and I think my friend sponsored my trip to a spa that week Shout out to you, maureen. I also started acting classes in April and if I mentioned it here, but I think I did and then I started going to church again in person. So I had studied the year strong spiritual actually, but I was still doing a lot of the online church, but then I started going again in person. I remember being in church on Easter Sunday and I was really, really, really grateful to be in church and I was so grateful to God that ended my last Sunday, also in church. It's such a big way for me. You might not understand, but I am happy.
Speaker 1:Then in May, the graduation season began. I mean the graduation season began. Rather, I traveled to Ethical New York for the first graduation. Some also began. I had a lot of brunch dates and, if I go to my Instagram, I'm like you had a good summer, you know.
Speaker 1:Then in June I ended therapy, mostly because I was going to start traveling. I couldn't keep up and also because I think it had served its purpose, as at the time when I ended it I felt like I was better emotionally, I had communicated everything I needed to communicate. You know, working on it, there's an episode that's going to be released as a bonus episode for this season Actually, where I and my friend I was a guest on the Friends podcast and I actually share my experiences of what therapy really was like for me. So I hope you check it out. And then in June too, I also traveled to Tawa and Toronto in Canada for my friend's graduation, also to see a couple of family friends as well. So it was maximum fun.
Speaker 1:You know, every time I think about my summer, I really did have fun. It was, it was a time. And then in July I went for Borna Boys concert. You know I still want to make it real about it, but some of those videos I was like I'm not sure I'm so proud because I was really like shocked, I was so happy. And you know it was, yeah, although it was, it was a wild, wild time like not for me anyway. I just remember being there Like I'm not sure I ever want to go for a concert again. It was. It was just a lot for me and it was the first time experience also, you know, being out that late and all that but I mean I have been out late before, but that you know. Okay, let me not talk too much, but but it was definitely an experience. But I did have fun because I went to some of my closest friends so it was fun to just go and sing it's plenty to sing last, last and to actually see Borna Boys, so that was fun. I also travel with my friends bred our shower I couldn't make our wedding that in August that year, so we had a brother shower for her in July in DC. So that was nice.
Speaker 1:And then some of my medical issues started with my eyes. Even I used to forget I had been diagnosed with something for the eyes and I was like, but nothing serious anyway, but I was just like I think I was only used to the idea of wearing glasses. And then when I went to go get checked they told me oh, you actually should wear your glasses, you know, not just when you use the screen, because that was what I thought it was for. But eventually there were all these like other allergies and pain, and I just remember July, me trying to sort out my eyes and not seeing clearly, which was annoying, but anyway we got better. And then in August I had the speaking engagement with Cornell. So if you hear no about it, I've talked about it a lot, you know, on how I feel. First, because I'm really grateful for that time, I also traveled to Minneapolis to see one of my mentors and, like big auntie friends, you know, and it was a special moment, I moved into a new apartment and stayed living by myself. Yeah, that was a very big adjustment. You know, I was really scared of doing it at first, but I survived it.
Speaker 1:I've been living alone for about four or five months, you know, and it's not as bad as I thought. You know, I've learned to sit with myself, my thoughts, my feelings, sitting in the quiet, you know, and just be. And I hope it doesn't make me very close eventually. But you know I've been happy about the experience, and not just. I actually had my first real conflict at work. It was an interpersonal conflict with? Yeah, but it was, it's weird, it's still weird. It was weird and it is still weird. So I was trying to say, but I guess it's just also part of being an adult and trying to handle these things, because usually I rarely have issues with people, you know, because of how I choose to live my life blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But so eventually running into a wall with someone of it is very it's definitely shook me, of course. So, but hopefully that gets sorted out.
Speaker 1:Then in September I also had to go see the gynecologist a couple of times. You know, it was just like I'm not used to having things disrupt my life like that for too long, you know. But this year also showed me that it's also part of being an adult, part of figuring these things out. You know, back in the day, if I had a hospital, if I had a hospital issue, you know my dad would take me or my mom I would be driven to the hospital. You know people would check me. I wouldn't even be the one to like figure out all these appointments, but now I had to do all these things I had to fight with, like literature okay, not literally, but you know, I remember that time I had to wait for a doctor for two hours because they had told me that she wasn't going, she didn't have time to see me.
Speaker 1:I was like, oh really, okay, you don't know me, because I'm going to be here, I'm going to wait for you. And she really did keep me waiting. In fact I think she really thought that I would go, but I don't think she has met a girl named Paseviera. So I stopped down there and I was like I'm going to wait for her, because you know how the system here. They're like oh, you should go and come back and for every visit you have to pay about $300, at least for the hospital I'm seeing here in New York. I'm like, no, I'm not going to do that, because I'm not just going to see you, for you to attend to me and then wait for the results, then for you to, for me to see you again to describe the results. No, you're going to talk to me during the same visit, you know. So I insisted, and I'm happy I did, even though I had to like take more time out of the office, but I was just pissed when we got started for another day, so I had to sort that out by myself.
Speaker 1:And then I traveled for a woman who evolved 10, 23. And I also talked about here, where I discovered that my name, esther, my middle name, esther, my name so much more was a beautiful time. Then, of course, I stopped in Houston, texas, to also see a couple of friends. And then come October, the year of our Lord, I traveled to Mexico. Finally, I finally became one of these girlies that have been to Mexico. I'm so excited about that. I went for my aunt and uncle wedding anniversary. No wedding vow renew it. 10 year wedding anniversary vow renewal I'm not sure now, but that's what it was. My mom visited again and then I had another work trip in Seattle, which was fun. I got to meet everyone on my team on the program management side, so that was fun.
Speaker 1:Then in November I would say November and December were very chill months. You know, I did make a promise to myself that my last trip was going to be my trip back from Seattle, at least my last trip in the air, and it was. I almost traveled to Canada, like last week, but I had to cancel the trip and then I spent. I did so travel for Thanksgiving to South Jersey, philadelphia and anyway, that was fun too. But this month, sadly, I couldn't travel, even for the places I made plans to. I had to cancel last minute. I think my body was really just tired.
Speaker 1:It had been a long, long, long year. I mean, I think I'm done recounting now. I had. I would say the theme of this year was like travel, enjoyment, community, survival, you know. So I did have a very full life. I would say my year was mostly characterized by people and if like trips maybe. So I had a lot of more. I had I got to interact with a lot of people more than you know, just being by myself. So I guess that's what made my year really occupied and busy. And all of that For 2024, I'm looking to kind of slow down, I think.
Speaker 1:Hopefully, take. My first trip I'm sure of taking is in May. So, yeah, hopefully, that would also buy me back some time and some money, because this year I started traveling in March or even February. But yeah, that's it. For December, nothing, nothing too crazy happened, but I did see a lot of my old friends. They came around to New York City to visit. So that made me happy, definitely. And then also, I attended Reboot Camp, which is a camp meeting for the church I follow online and that was, and I'm happy that I was able to take time off work to attend and follow life as well. So that was. I would call that a life changing moment for me as well. So I think I'm really happy with how the year has come to an end.
Speaker 1:I'm really grateful to God for life, for preservation I say this all the time and I think I say it's all the time on my Instagram I'm grateful for preservation of my mind, my soul, my spirit, my body, because it takes a lot for all these things to be working at the same capacity. It takes a lot for, you know, to be in a good space mentally, emotionally and even physically, health wise, so that you can function as a normal human being. So I'm really grateful that. You know, for the most part, god has taken care of me in all of that. I was going to unpack what it meant to actually spend a day alone, you know, and I also wrote it down a bit because at first I was avoiding the conversation with myself. But you know, I'm actually happy that I survived being single for a year because I have now been a single Pringle for about a year now, for the first time, you know, and I truly maximized I would say I maximized my free time. I lived, I loved, I laughed, I danced, I smiled. I guess I made most of it, you know. So I'm looking forward to seeing what it is next.
Speaker 1:It was my first time and I was always scared of oh my god, being too alone or being too lonely, you know, and I think it's not even just the dancing, because even people who are in relationships to my self especially if you're in a long distance relationship I think it was just where this was the first time where I really got to actually spend, make money, spend it and just exercise my individualism, you know, with no influence from any external or third parties. So I guess that's why I did so much to make sure that I did everything I wanted to do in 2010s, and that was really fun for me. I'm so proud of myself. If you know the people who have shared my acting class story with, it was one of the weirdest things, the most courageous things I've ever done, because it was such a weird class. They would make us do weird, some weird stuff, and I'm like I don't know. I'm here, but it was. I guess it did achieve the purpose. You know I also did actually enjoy living alone. I think I mentioned that.
Speaker 1:And another thing, too I'm proud of, and I think I grew closer to my sisters. I hope they can stay the same, but you know, I found I called them in love this year and tried to be there more often. I stayed in touch, you know, as a big sister. So I'm really happy for that. I'm happy I also did stay closer to God compared to the other years I've been in this country. And then, like I said too, I plan to lose weight, but I'm also happy. It didn't work, but I'm also happy I didn't gain weight either. So I guess it's a win-win. It balances it out and we'll go again next year. And for more context on this, I actually I think I also covered it in the bonus episode for this year. So please also watch out for that.
Speaker 1:I would say I also stayed in good standing. We love my friends, my community. I would say I don't know if it became stronger, but it definitely felt much more solid. You know, some of the relationships and my oldest friendships you know I'm still in touch with. I love people, best friends from high school, primary school, secondary school, cornell, like even at Google, you know. Some friendships when I work became more solidified this year and I'm grateful that I do have a strong community. I think I can lean on Because these days I feel like I'm the one they love people lean on. But you know, hopefully I do ever need them They'll also be there, but yeah, but I'm happy that I could also show up for a lot of my friends this year and I'm very, very proud of myself.
Speaker 1:Actually, I must say I did document every single memory I wanted to document in the social media. I did put it out there for me when people ask me what is the future plan of the non-American students, you know and I think this might be the first time I'm actually publicly admitting I'm sharing this I do have plans for this story to be told on a much, much more bigger scale. You know, not just my story of moving here, but your own story too, like what it means to be a diaspora, to move countries at a young age, you know. So I meticulously try to put that together in one place for hopes that it is going to be picked up someday. You know as much as I can share, but so I'm really happy that this year I don't think I missed like every single thing I wanted to put on social media. I did put it out there, so I'm happy. I'm happy about that that I didn't. I mean, there were days I definitely over thought a lot of things, but for most days I still showed up and I'm happy about that. So yeah, guys, that's me for 2023. You know, I have all my, all my random journals I opened this year. I had to go look through some of them my gratitude journal, my journal, even for 2024, and some of the other places where I've written down things I really want to do for Q1. So some things I think I can share. Let's see For what I'm looking forward to doing for the first half of this year.
Speaker 1:I'm picking up back my gym in habit. Hopefully I'm able to work on that this year sorry, next year again. I'm also preparing for a professional privacy exam at work, so I'm hoping to take the exam next year. I'm also looking to stay on social media for a minute for a while next year, and this is and you heard it first, so we'll see. Hopefully I'm able to keep up with that. I'm also trying to go for promotion at work next year and this is your own Q2. If, if it's something you're thinking about, definitely do it.
Speaker 1:And I'm also so not afraid. I'm not really afraid of failure. So, okay, no, that's it Like I am very afraid of failure, but I'm always willing to try. I always believe I'm afraid of never trying more than I am afraid of, you know, trying and failure. So, yeah, I also have some plans written down here of things I want to achieve at work for my team. I want to read more this year. You guys, I have I collect books, but I never read them because I'm used to, because before I really used to really love books. So I still think I'm still trying. I'm trying to bring back that old reading self of mine, but, yeah, hopefully in front of the public, and recognize that I'm also looking to save much more money the six months recommended emergency fund. I'm almost there, but I'm hoping to, you know, actually finish and save much more money next year.
Speaker 1:And then also preparing for season four of this content of this podcast, and I think the theme for season four I don't know, am I supposed to say now or next year, when you hear it, if I believe, I received word from the Lord about what it should be, but I also sense there's going to be a lot of changes next year, and so you have to be definitely something within those lines, and I'm hoping to embrace as much of that change. I'm also planning to actually produce or publish content on YouTube. Nothing really serious, I would say. I don't know. I really don't know yet, but I've just been feeling it. Nothing like I don't know if I'm going to do sit down vlogs or any of that stuff. I feel like there's already so much there Like YouTube content is so proliferated that I also don't want to saturate that market, but you know, I have to pep talk myself into saying you have your own audience, blah, blah, blah blah. But we'll see.
Speaker 1:And then I hope to send my money home next year as well. You know to be a responsible adult, and daughter pay my black taxes. Not necessarily, though, but then I find that you know, giving to parents is definitely a blessing, and I love, and I just love to do it. So, yes, I also want to plan my first photo shoot for 2020 in my life that I've ever done in 2024. So I have some and I also have some other physical changes I'm thinking of doing. So I'm just thinking. You know I'm just trying to project up until March 2024 what I think I can handle and control, but I don't know much more. I can't see much more than that. You know, I think in 2020, looking to 2023, I already knew I was going to travel in October to Mexico. You know I already knew that, oh, I wanted to do this. There were a lot more plans that I had and I knew I was going to travel to Canada in 2023. But for 2024 I can really say objectively or clearly how things are going to happen. So I anticipate that I'm going to have to do a lot of God trusting next year, a lot of hand holding of God begging him.
Speaker 1:You know I've also been my feelings a lot, you know, just thinking as a young adult now approaching in her late 20s, now, like you know what next, what next? And I have all these what next questions. You know how can I just slow down and take it much more easy on myself? You know I was watching the Lightwick documentary yesterday by Michelle Obama. I did have a lot of good things to say about taking it easy on yourself. You know, eventually, you know when you start out, you know not setting impossible standards for yourself, you know, and all that. So I have to also remember consciously to slow down and all of that.
Speaker 1:So I'm looking forward to the calm that next year looks like it's going to be, to the change that also looks like it's going to be, and if it also does look like there will be chaos. So if it does present some chaos, I'm just hoping that I wait through it, you know, gracefully in all of it. So, yeah, I'm definitely very much in my reflective and gratitude bag this few days at the end of this year and I hope that you know for you as well, as you look back and look forward. You know, as you look, as you definitely prepare for the new year ahead, I really pray that you know God gives you, gives each and everyone of us, the wisdom and grace to hear from him, to actually know what steps to take, that he prepares us for whatever season of our lives might be coming up soon. You know, if you're a few people of faith, and even for people who are not, I just I hope it's a good year for you. Either way, looking forward, and if you did suffer any form of loss this year, any form of sadness, disappointment, I hope you feel much more relief now that the year is coming to an end and I know grace is not something that ends, but, you know, I hope you are able to cope with it and deal with it, you know, going forward in your life. So, yeah, I'd also like to end this episode by thanking you all for rocking with me this year.
Speaker 1:I released the Spotify wrapped on my Instagram earlier, I think in December. I'm also curious to see my Apple wrapped, actually, because I think more of my listeners listened through Apple podcast last time I checked to start Now. Aya, we are lucky, thank you. Even my podcast platform also sent me a look back. But you know the top episodes would be ones I did with my friends in Mexico the out of office episodes, my very first episode and I came back in season three. The anniversary episode number three was the adulthood rant I did with my Kenyan friend and sister. Fourth one was the nicest and not so nice is a working in big tech. And then the fifth most listened to episode was the adulthood rant episode with I BK global. So that was nice. I was actually in top 50% of all shows on both routes.
Speaker 1:I had almost 3000 downloads this year. 24 countries, 15 episodes, 686 minutes. So thank you all. And when I all look at this 24 countries I'm like at this, my endurance in these places. All those are citizens of those countries. You know, it's still so weird to me it's best to come and like some places I can't even pronounce. So you know, shout out to all of you wherever you are. United States still had most downloads, followed by Nigeria, uk, canada and Germany. So shout out to you guys. And, to be specific, dublin, west Sussex, new York and Frankfurt. So yeah, but Lagos is still the most populous city. So I am really, really, really, I'm very, very grateful to each and every one of you. I also sold, I think, seven t-shirts this year. Someone even sponsored someone else's t-shirt, so that was so nice. Shout out to you to missing.
Speaker 1:And yes and yes I think this brings me to the end of this episode I am definitely wishing you guys a beautiful new year ahead, a year of clarity, a year of purpose, a year of consistency, of discipline, of bonus, of strength, of wealth, honestly and well. When I'm. By wealth, I mean growing riches. You know I know wealth in your mind, in your finance, in your health, in your friendships. You know I wish you all of that and more. And you guys, you know I will see you. When I see you, definitely I'll be back for season 4, definitely, very definitely, hopefully, if Jesus Tarris, I will see you guys, or I'll just see you on Instagram or I'll see you on YouTube maybe, and then I also do have a bonus episode coming out after this. So hopefully that will also keep your company till I'm back back. Yeah, so happy, happy, happy new year and advance guys. See you in 2024. Bye.