update

my 2023 year in review

Liesl Young14 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

And so the sun sets on this year. I can’t help but feel like it flew by faster than I could blink. This happens every year–all of a sudden I look up and it’s December.

2023 was an eventful year. Goodbyes and hellos, grief and celebration, sorrows and immense joys. I have grown so much this year. I hate to leave it behind, but at the same time, I greet the new year with open arms.

Everyone’s doing reflection posts these days, and while I could ramble on and on about everything I mention in this post, I’m going to keep it brief for your reading enjoyment. So without further ado, let’s jump right in!

books

In 2023, I read 119 books by 95 unique authors. Not quite the 200-book goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year, but still worth noting. 42 of those books were rereads.

Some favorite new reads were I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, the Stormlight Archives series by Brandon Sanderson (I’m halfway through!), Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I also read a lot of BookTok books like The Inheritance Games and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder that I didn’t expect to like but really enjoyed.

In the rereads category, I went back to some old favorite series and trilogies like the Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, the WondLa trilogy by Tony DiTerlizzi, and the Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse. I also read the entire Harry Potter series in one week for the second time in my life–rereading the series has become a favorite summer activity of mine.

In 2024, I have decided to start tracking my reading on Goodreads in addition to Notion, which is where I’ve been storing my reading log for the last two years. Notion is extremely handy and I love how customizable it is, but with 240 entries in the database over the last two years, it’s getting a bit laggy. I’m figuring out some workarounds to make it less so, but using Goodreads as well will help me keep better track of my reviews and TBR.

I’ve also decided that in 2024 I’m going to read and study more classics. I love the classics, but they’re harder to read than my favorite contemporaries, so this year I’m combatting my lack of motivation towards them. I will assign myself 12 classic books that I haven’t read before and read one per month. I’m excited to finally start reading more classics–suggestions welcome in the comments!

I have also finished reading through the entire Bible. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do next, but I’d like to do a more in-depth study, since my goal for reading it this year was to just get an overview, but a broader overview than what I’ve been studying in Sunday school my whole life. I will still be reading my Bible–I’m just not sure what form that will take yet.

writing + platform

I’ve already talked about this to the point of exhaustion, but in June I began my studies at the Author Conservatory. Since then, I’ve plotted and written my first novel and begun concepts for my second. I’ve learned and grown through peer and instructor feedback so much, and I’ve loved the connections I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned every step of the way. In six months, I’ve already seen how much the Conservatory is blessing and equipping me for my future.

Quote, Unquote also celebrated its third birthday! October marked that milestone. In three years of blogging, I have never once missed a Wednesday post (although once I did schedule one for the wrong time and panicked because I thought I did miss it).

I’ve loved sharing my writing journey through this blog, helping other writers like me. Each and every comment encourages me to keep going–thank you for reading! I plan to keep it thriving. I hope to upgrade it to a paid domain and get rid of those pesky ads, but that’s the only major change I intend to make. However, plans change–we’ll see how the blog does throughout the next year.

music

My top artists on Spotify this year were, in order:

  1. Taylor Swift (no surprise there)
  2. Imagine Dragons
  3. Hozier
  4. Paramore
  5. Bon Iver

And some top five songs. My top five songs on Spotify were all Taylor Swift, so I’ll give you a few lists so you get a better picture of my music taste.

  • Top five Taylor Swift: “gold rush,” “’tis the damn season,” “champagne problems,” “Style,” “Out of the Woods”
  • Top five non-Taylor Swift: “Speechless” by Dan + Shay, “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot” by Jordan Davis, “doomsday” by Lizzy McAlpine, “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs, “Off” by Jake Scott
  • Top five new favorite artists in 2023: “About You” by The 1975, “Scott Street” by Phoebe Bridgers, “reckless driving” by Lizzy McAlpine and Ben Kessler, “Feels Like” by Gracie Abrams, “Pretty Places” by Aly & AJ

I started listening to a lot more country music this year, courtesy to my best friends. I used to think I hated it, but it turns out I hated more of the stereotypical “beer, trucks, women, ‘Murica” country music. Once I found the actual good stuff, I started to like it a lot more.

My sister also introduced me to a lot of the indie pop vibes like Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers, and their voices and distinctive sounds suit my tastes perfectly. She’s also trying to get me to love indie folk like Noah Kahan…that one’s going to take some getting used to.

In November I did the annual “Me and Music Tag”, so if you’re interested in getting a bit of a larger taste of my music, feel free to check that out!

final thoughts

While it had its rough patches, as every year does, 2023 was an incredible year for me in personal growth. I can’t recall a year where I’ve been blessed so abundantly, been brought down and lifted up, like I have this year. It’s been a roller coaster ride, and while I can’t say I’ve enjoyed every single moment, I look back on it with fondness. For that I am grateful.

I can only hope that 2024 will bring the same blessings–not just for myself but for you, all of you reading this. I pray that you walk into the new year with a sense of renewal, open arms, and an unshakeable faith.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday (in 2024)!

autumn update + winter goals

Liesl Young11 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

While I don’t necessarily enjoy waking up before the sun, I do love watching the sun rise from the easterly window at the coffee shop where I work. The days are so short now, which means that I can watch the sun rise and set in the same day. I’ve begun taking a picture of each spectacular sunset and sunrise I see, and I have quite a nice collection to look back and marvel on.

This fall was simple–uneventful, yet full of delightful small joys. Mostly, it was figuring out how to navigate the many large blessings I had suddenly been handed over the late spring and summer without draining myself. It has been a season of balance and learning.

Some of my favorite things included:

  • trips to the cider mill (although I got stung by a wasp once, which was not a favorite thing)
  • watching my little sister go to homecoming for the first time
  • getting my senior pictures taken
  • launching my business, Seedlings Latin Academy
  • an extremely intense game of Monopoly with my two best friends (I lost and I’m still bitter)
  • staying up too late to listen to 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
  • playing at an incredible Reformation service
  • drafting my first Author Conservatory novel
  • reading the Conservatory’s first student anthology!

Now that we’ve done a quick little three-month recap, let’s look over my goals from September, shall we?

goals from autumn

restart my email list

For the second time in a row, I have managed to completely let this goal slip by me–which is a sign that I just don’t have the mental energy for it right now.

Honestly, that’s fine by me. Right now, an email list is not a high priority. I will learn how to build and maintain one later with the Author Conservatory, so it’s not something I need to do right now. I’m choosing to let go of this goal for now and not put too much pressure on myself to do things faster than is good for me.

re-teach myself Latin

With the launching of my Latin tutoring business, I had to do a bit of a refresher on Latin basics. It was surprising how hard it was at first to pick it back up, but I got there in the end! I’m no expert by any means–I won’t be reading anything harder than accounts of the Gallic War anytime soon–but it’s more than enough to be able to pass on to students.

learn something new

When I made this goal, I had sewing specifically in mind. I wanted to learn how to make my own clothes. But as the season went on, it because apparent that sewing was not a very high priority at the moment. I was just too busy juggling everything else.

And I was fine with that. Sure, it’s something I want to do eventually–I just don’t have the time or energy to do it right now. For now, I will focus on improving and learning in the skills I already have before moving on to something new.

figure out budgeting and money management

With help from my mom, who is a personal finance pro, I have been able to visualize my expenses with YNAB and create a manageable budget that works for me. I highly recommend this tool for anyone looking to improve their personal finances! It helps you set goals and track your spending. Plus, they have so many helpful resources for managing your money. Definitely check it out if you need something to kickstart your personal finance game–especially heading into the new year.

make connections and engage

With advice from the co-founder of the Conservatory, I’ve been attending more calls and making more of an effort to be present in the program. It can be hard for me to make connections online, but I’m slowly starting to integrate myself into the community and become someone I would look up to. I have a feeling that this is not going to be a “one and done” goal–it’s something I’m going to be working on for a while.

goals for winter

prioritize rest

I have learned the hard way that rest is not something that can be put off. You need to rest before your body decides it needs to rest and shuts off entirely. It prevents burnout and allows you to work more effectively in the long run.

I love my work and am continually striving to be better, which is a perfect cocktail for “workaholic.” If I don’t take breaks and listen to what my mind, soul, and body need, then I’m not going to be able to work at all. Over the winter, I will be implementing strategies to prioritize rest such as not working at all on certain days and going at my own pace, not trying to “outdo myself.”

lessen dependence on screens

I’ve had “lower screentime” as a seasonal goal several times before, but I think that I’ve been going about it wrong. Instead of telling myself I need to use my screens less, I need to lessen my dependence so I don’t feel like I have to use my screens at all.

At the moment, I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to do that, but I know that a reread of Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism can help me figure that out. I hope to develop some strategies and report back in the spring with results!

finish the Iliad

I started reading the Iliad months ago, and it’s fallen to the wayside. This month I’d like to finish it and move into the Odyssey. It’s a fairly straightforward and low-pressure goal–which I need!

final thoughts

It’s been a small-joys kind of fall, and I hope those same small joys will continue through the winter. I’m working on finding beauty even in the hard times. The sunrises make it all worth it.

What goals have you set for yourself in the coming winter? Let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

literary lighthouses: a writing update

Liesl Young18 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Nine weeks ago, I posted about my current writing project and progress. In that post, I outlined where I was at in the Author Conservatory, made a brief introduction to my novel, and said in a lot of words that I wasn’t sure if I was going to do NaNoWriMo this year. This week, I’m back to update you all!

I have one very exciting announcement to make…

I won NaNoWriMo for the second year in a row!

Yeah, funny story–I said that I didn’t think I was going to do NaNo, that going for quantity over quality probably wasn’t a good idea, and that I was too busy to really give it the time it needed…

Then wrote 53,000 words in 27 days.

My novel, Project Restore, is a story with a Hallmark-movie plot about a businesswoman named Eloise who reluctantly leaves her job in the city behind to fix up the lighthouse where she grew up–alongside her ex, Cal. Drama ensues. It’s full of coastal small town lighthouse vibes and a touch of second-chance romance, and I think it’s my favorite thing that I’ve ever written.

I went into an absolute trance while drafting this novel. I have no idea what happened to me. It was like my body was taken over by some novel-writing creature.

Just for fun (and because I’m a data gremlin), I’m going to share some stats from the month of November.

project restore drafting stats

  • 27 days drafting (begun November 1, finished November 27)
  • 53,166 total words
  • 1,969 average words per day
  • 33 total hours drafting
  • 28.3 average words per minute
  • wrote the most between 3 and 4 pm
  • drafted the most on November 20 with 3,562 words
  • 22 chapters

imperfection

While the first draft of Project Restore may be finished, the story is nowhere near done. It’s decidedly half-baked right now. In fact, it’s just bad. It’s about 20,000 words shorter than I wanted it to be, there are so many loose ends to tie up, the prose can be repetitive and, well, not great…

But while the story may not be done, the first draft is.

During the first few days of writing this draft, I was so worried about it having to be just right. Easy and fun to read, not too rambly, weaving in all the backstory perfectly, and so on and so forth.

And then around Chapter 4 I threw all that out the window.

At that point, I had decided that I was going to attempt NaNoWriMo. The whole nine yards, 50,000 words in 30 days. And if I was going to write 50,000 words in 30 days, I couldn’t worry about it being any good.

Drafting was such a struggle at first. I hated sitting down to write–it felt like the words were fighting against my fingers, resisting coming out onto the page. For the first few days, I dreaded my writing time with a passion.

As soon as I gave myself permission to be bad, I started to love writing my story. When I stopped worrying about making it all perfect, I fell in love with my setting, my characters, exploring their world and who they were.

In November, I wrote 53,166 messy, imperfect words. There will come a day when the words have to be slightly less messy, when I’ll have to wade through my murky doc and clean it up bit by bit.

But for now…it’s done.

learning to rest

Another thing I learned while drafting was the importance of rest. I wrote every single day. Rain or shine, work or no work, even if I had no time all day and I had to sit down at 10:30 at night to write–I wrote.

As you can imagine, it was a bit strenuous. There were some days when the words flowed and I wrote 1,000 words in 30 minutes. And then there were the days when I sat down for 40 minutes and I still couldn’t get 500 words on the page.

And I was okay with that. If I only wrote 480 words, that was still 480 words I didn’t have on my draft before. I did the best I could with the mental resources I had, and that’s what mattered.

I gave myself grace. I wanted to do at least 1,000 words on those days, but when they simply weren’t coming, I allowed myself to stop. I could have pushed myself harder. I could probably have done more.

But when I allowed myself to stop, to rest and recharge, I did more good to myself and my story than another 520 words could ever have done.

I didn’t always do a good job of giving myself grace. There were several times when my friends had to yell at me to put the draft down and go to bed or go touch grass. But when I actually did allow myself to rest instead of pushing through, it strengthened me more.

Funny, right? How we were created in God’s image, and even He rested after creating? That was something I definitely needed to hear over November.

where do I go now?

I felt a bit lost after I finished my draft. It was bumpy at first, but I grew to love spending time with my characters and the lighthouse. I felt like I could see them, standing in the surf, silhouetted by the setting sun.

It was a kind of small grief, finishing the story. I could no longer explore my characters, their minds, their worlds. But it comforts me to know that there’s much left to do on this draft. There’s always more to do.

I know that I haven’t shared much about this novel, but to celebrate, I’m going to leave you with a little snippet from the main character, Eloise:

This lighthouse is more trouble than it’s worth. It’s constantly dusty, always in danger, always needing some sort of upkeep. It’s cold and drafty and an absolute pain to keep operational. 

Yet it’s a part of me. I’ve climbed these hundred and thirty-four stairs more times than I can count. I’ve sat on the lantern room and watched the ships and the sea for hours and hours of my life. I’ve come here to cry and to celebrate and everything in between. I’ve poured my blood and sweat and tears into it.

As much as I hate to admit it, as much as I try to leave it behind, this lighthouse is my home. 

Chapter Thirteen

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate your support more than you can ever know. It’s more than I ever dreamed of or hoped for.

I’ll see you next Wednesday!

summer update + autumn goals

Liesl Young14 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

I stepped outside this morning to pick some fresh raspberries for my pancakes (yes, raspberry pancakes–they were delicious) and there was a bite in the air. Even as I write now, the scent of cinnamon is drifting from the breakfast cookies baking in the oven and a cool breeze blows from the open window. I got to wear my favorite sweater the other day, and it made me think, Ah, yes. Fall is here.

And if fall is here, that means it’s time for another seasonal update! I love writing these posts, truly. It gives me time to reflect and think about what’s going on in my life and how I can grow throughout the coming season.

My summer was…nuts. It was just one big life event after the other. I got (and kept!) a job I love, started studying at the Author Conservatory, met one of my best online friends in person for the first time, went to the YDubs Conference, and fell back in love with writing, among other things.

There were a lot of things I planned or intended to do but never did, but there were lots of things that I did do that made my summer an overall success.

Some small joys included:

  • reading Brandon Sanderson for the first time and surprising myself with how much I liked it
  • really long bike rides with my sister
  • a youth gathering on Mackinac Island and hiking ten miles a day
  • buying new books, including two that have been on my wish list for ages
  • a day trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan with my best friends (and some old friends surprising us there)
  • a retreat at a local Lutheran college to learn about church work and hearing their organ
  • lots of visits from the neighborhood cat
  • buying my online friends pizza during the YDubs Conference
  • a day trip to Cedar Point with my (extremely chaotic) youth group
  • plenty of Taylor Swift (especially during August)

Now that we’ve overviewed my summer, let’s look at the goals I made back in June, shall we?

goals from summer

stay on top of schoolwork and balance time well

I’d give myself a seven out of ten on this one. While I’ve mostly been doing a good job of staying on top of my Author schoolwork, some things fell by the wayside during July and August. I’m catching up on them now, but I still can’t help but feel like I’ve put myself behind. Which, technically, I guess I have, but I know what I need to do to catch up, so it’s not a big deal!

As for managing time well…I could probably have spent a little less time scrolling through Pinterest and a little more time being productive this summer. A lot of times I would get home from work and utterly crash, needing to give my brain a break, which meant an excuse to scroll through my phone endlessly. In reality, that was probably making things worse.

But I can’t get that time back, so all I can do is scold myself and not do it again. I’ve learned my lesson!

restart my email list

This…did not happen. It’s kind of a big project, because it requires creating additional content on a somewhat regular basis, and I did not have the brainpower to do it over the summer with everything else going on.

I did ask some people if they would like to join for the relaunch, and I got a couple of new emails, but I never sent anything. I will be putting this on my list of autumn goals, though! It will happen. I hope.

read more good books

I hit a reading slump during the midsummer. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t force myself to read more. It was a weird feeling, and I didn’t like it.

However, I did manage to find two new favorite books: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Plus, I reread the Harry Potter series and some childhood favorites like Harriet the Spy and Little House in the Big Woods.

I recapped my summer reading journey in last week’s post–if you’d like to see some thoughts on those books, check it out!

goals for autumn

restart my email list

Oh look, it’s back.

For real this time! I plan to create content with lessons that I’m learning in life that don’t necessarily belong here, publicly, on my blog. Things that God has been teaching me, experiences I’m having, and, probably the most fun thing, updates on my actual writing projects. I’d like to do emails every other week or every month. If you’re interested in signing up, I’d love to have you!

sign up for my email list

re-teach myself Latin

Latin isn’t a part of my core curriculum anymore since I left Classical Conversations, but big things are coming (oooo…) that require it. I just can’t escape it, as much as I’d like to. So I will be going back to the basics and relearning everything that I thought I could forget for my senior year of high school.

Funny how that works. I thought I would never need it. Guess all those crazy homeschool moms were right. (Love you, Mom!)

learn something new

I have so. Many. Hobbies. Yet for some reason I am never satisfied and always want to do something else. This fall I’d like to pick one thing–yes, one–and stick to it. I want to practice it and get good at it.

I don’t know what that will be. It might be something I do but don’t do often enough, like archery, or it might be something totally new, like machine sewing. Whatever it is, I plan to create a schedule and teach myself as much as I can about it.

figure out budgeting and money management

This is one of those adult skills that I know I have to have but am too intimidated to actually start. Fortunately, my mom is a budgeting wizard and (hopefully) will be able to help me. Plus, I’m taking a personal finance course for my senior year, so I expect to get at least an overview then.

make connections and engage

I’m part of a community on the Author Conservatory now that’s relatively small and close-knit. I know some of the students, but I’d like to be more outgoing and make real, deep, personal connections with other young authors like me. It’s hard for me to make friends online, but that’s mostly due to the fact that I forget to respond to messages for days at a time, which means that that’s really on me.

final thoughts

This fall, I will not be going back to Classical Conversations like I have every single year since I was about six years old. Instead, I’ll be learning at home, working on my writing projects, working at my job, and juggling all the normal teenager things. It’s definitely something new that’s going to require adjusting, but I know that with discipline, I can accomplish all these goals and more.

Thank you so much for tuning in! Your support means more to me than you know. I’d love to hear about your goals for the fall–go ahead and drop them in the comments.

I’ll see you next Wednesday!

spring update + summer goals

Liesl Young8 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Today is officially the first day of summer, and I am so excited. Summer is always filled with the promise of sunshine, warm days, and possibility.

The first day of summer also means a new seasonal update, so let’s look back on my goals from springtime, shall we?

spring update

habits

get back into running

Total fail. Absolute and complete fail. I think I’ve just come to realize that running isn’t for me—I find it tedious and generally not stimulating enough. I’m coming to realize that a goal of running a half marathon is just not feasible for me. Maybe for future Liesl. In the meantime, I need to figure out a way to get moving that doesn’t feel like a chore.

research and implement time management strategies

I’ve actually been doing so much better at time management since school let out! I think that while I was so caught up in the stress of schoolwork, it was difficult for me to implement another new thing into my life, but now that that’s over I can focus more on personal betterment.

I’ve been using my Google Calendar much more efficiently lately and actually staying on top of my schedule, which is something I haven’t really ever been good with. Being able to have my calendar color-coded and easy to glance at on my phone has really helped. Another thing that has been useful for me is timeblocking, where you block off specific times for specific tasks and then only do that task during that time. I don’t use it all the time, but when I have an especially busy day or week and lots of things to do, it’s very helpful to visualize how I’m going to use my time.

stay on top of my Bible reading

I’m pleased to report that I’m actually ahead of my Bible reading plan! I read my Bible every night before I go to bed. Technically speaking, there was only one day this year where I missed it, but it was because I went to bed at five o’clock the next morning and I read it then. (And before you judge me for going to bed at five o’clock, it was a youth group event and I’ve never stayed up that late before in my life. It’s not a regular occurrence.)

goals

survive junior year

I made it! Picture me flopping back dramatically with my hand on my forehead, because that’s kind of what it feels like. Towards the end there, during the last few weeks, I didn’t think I was going to be able to get through all my schoolwork and still be of sound mind. But now I’m on the other side, and my sanity is still intact—well, as intact as it can be for me, at least.

It was tough for a few weeks there, but I can look back on my year fondly. I think it was probably the best year of high school I ever had. It was rough, sure, but I learned and grew so much and had so much fun with my class. Worth every little bit of stress.

outline and draft a new project

I didn’t get this one done, but it’s for a good reason. In late spring, an opportunity arose for me to join the Author Conservatory, my college alternative program, early. I was already accepted into the program and was due to start in September, but who was I to pass up a head start? So I’ve held off on starting anything new so I’m not too entrenched in anything during the concept-creating stages.

take up a new hobby

I’m going to twist my previous words a little bit and say that “hobby” in this case just means “something new to occupy my free time.” And I found something! I recently got a job at a little local coffee and ice cream shop nearby, and I really love working there. Now I’m obsessed with all things coffee.

summer goals

I’m actually going to forgo the habits this summer, simply because I couldn’t think of any to put in. I’m doing pretty well habits-wise, honestly, which is a first. So this summer I’m going to only focus on one-time goals that I’d like to accomplish before the fall.

stay on top of schoolwork and balance time well

I just got out of school…only to go right back into school. Since I joined the Author Conservatory, I’m a college student now! (This time, though, it’s school that I want to do, not school that I have to do.) And, as mentioned, I now have a job. Which is going to make things…interesting.

Between Author calls, schoolwork, working, and all my other regular obligations, I’m not going to have time to waste. I’m going to be using the time management skills I figured out in the springtime religiously during this new season. Plus, I’d like to have time to myself to do stuff that I want to do—like sleep. Sleep would be good.

restart my email list

I had an email list that I would send monthly updates on a while ago, but I fell out of the habit pretty quickly. I think that in my mind I thought that no one would really want to read about what was going on in my life, but recently I’ve been thinking and reading others’ newsletters and realizing that, hey, I like knowing what’s going on in other people’s lives, why wouldn’t people like to know about mine?

So starting in July I’m going to restart my email list and send either monthly or bimonthly updates about my life—things I’ve done, progress updates, generally things you won’t necessarily get to read about here. If you’re not subscribed and you’d like to be, you can sign up here. I look forward to sharing more of myself with you!

read more good books

I haven’t been doing a ton of reading lately, but what little I have been doing is, like, Harry Potter. I’d like to read some thought-provoking, good books—not necessarily nonfiction, although that’s definitely a goal as well.

final thoughts

I know that as far as goal-setting posts go, this is one of my shorter ones. I’m expecting my summer to be mostly repetitive—working, schoolwork, hanging out with friends—and increased workloads and trying to balance everything leaves me with not much time or mental energy to try new things. Although, maybe we’ll see! Who knows what God has in store for my summer?

That’s all for today, folks. What are some of your summer goals? What are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

yet another goodbye

Liesl Young16 Comments

Around this time last week, I was heading to my very last day of school. I had a cake in the front seat that I was trying desperately to keep steady on the twisty-turny roads, “Out of the Woods” by Taylor Swift blasting out of the speakers, and a heart that felt weighed down. I knew that at the end of the day I’d be leaving for the last time.

For the past eleven years of my life, I’ve been homeschooled with a program called Classical Conversations. It’s all I’ve ever known, and I’ve loved–well, maybe not every single second, but most of them. CC has made me what I am. It’s shaped me and my worldviews and my perspectives and my tastes. It’s an enormous part of me.

I spent eight years at one campus close to me. The last three–in fact, all of my high school years–have been spent at one farther away. It’s been a wild ride.

For most of my ninth grade year, I thought my classmates hated me. In tenth grade I came to know that that wasn’t true. In eleventh, I wondered how I ever thought it was. In twelfth, I’m not sure what I’ll think of them.

All my life, I looked forward to graduating from CC–completing the looming, incomprehensible threat of Challenge IV (as it is called) and proudly calling myself a CC graduate.

But God has other plans. Because I’m not going back.

Leaving on Wednesday was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I gave my hugs and said my goodbyes and walked out of that church for one final time. And as I sat there in my car, getting ready to leave, it hit me that this was it. This was when my life was changing.

Isn’t it funny how life changes? Every day, you make decisions. Little ones, usually. What will I eat for breakfast? How will I spend my time today? Should I text him?

And then, sometimes, there’s the big ones. Should I have kids? Should I move? Should I say yes?

Every time you make a new decision, your life shifts. Changes permanently. You can never unmake that decision. Whether you had waffles or cereal for breakfast is now something that has completely altered the course of your life. And the bigger decisions…well. You can imagine how your life changes with those.

This was one of those big-decision moments. For eleven years, I’ve been doing more or less the same thing. Sure, there were variances on a yearly, semesterly, and weekly basis, but it was much the same. 294 weeks of my life (give or take) have been spent in this pattern. See your friends. Go home. Complain about homework. Write the essays, memorize the speeches, read the books. Wait until you can see your friends again. Repeat and repeat and repeat.

For the first time in my entire homeschooling career, I will be facing something different. Something completely new, uncharted, unmapped.

I’m terrified.

Change is scary. Change has always been, and will always be, scary. But without change, how will you grow?

I’ve said a lot of goodbyes, faced a lot of change over the past year and a half. My opa died–the first grandparent I ever lost. My closest friends moved away. My dad left his longtime job for a new one and was laid off six months later. And now this.

My classmates and I are parting ways. I’ll see them again, and we’ll still be friends, bonded by three years of shared experiences, but it’ll never be quite the same. My academic world is expanding. For better or for worse? I don’t know.

I’m so grateful for these years. Every day in class, every assignment I completed (and even the ones I never started on), every tutor and director I’ve ever had has shaped and molded me into who I am today. Even all the trials, all the tears soaking into my ink-stained paper and the late nights agonizing over memorized speeches and the hours spent staring at the same page wondering what I’m just not getting–I wouldn’t trade those for the world.

I cried as I drove away. I’m crying a little now as I type this. Because this is yet another goodbye. Yet more change. I’m scared and sad and anxious.

But I’m a little elated, too.

What more will the future hold?

ninth grade ~ tenth grade ~ eleventh grade

winter update + spring goals

Liesl Young14 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

We are once again in that magical time of year where the misery of winter is slowly lifting and spring will soon be upon us. I say “will soon be” because I live in Michigan and it doesn’t really act like spring here until around mid-April. Although it is nice to just be able to say that it’s spring.

But you know the drill–it’s time for an update and some goal-setting for the new season!

winter update

I’m trying to remember what even happened this winter. It feels like it rushed by so quickly, what with school and church and school and writing and…school.

I got to see some long-distance friends for my birthday–I hadn’t seen them since they moved in August, and it was so fun to catch up with them.

And then a month later I got to see them again! Their school was going to the March for Life and the Lutherans for Life conference in Washington, D. C. in January, and they invited us to go with them. The March is an enormous peaceful protest against abortion–one of the largest and longest-running in the country–and this year’s was especially momentous, a celebration of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Since the March, I’ve been doing research on the pro-life movement and getting more involved. It was one of the best times of my life, I think.

In February my sister and I flew down to Alabama by ourselves to visit our grandparents for a week. We stayed on the beach and swam in the pool every single day. It was nice to get away from the cold for a little bit, especially because while we were down there, some enormous ice storms hit. We lost so many tree branches. It was no joke, y’all.

I also built a huge floating island in Minecraft that I’m too proud of not to share. Hey, we all gotta be nerdy sometimes, right?

Those were the highlights of my winter! Now on to the real reason we’re here–my goals and habits.

habits

implement strategies to reduce screentime

I flopped on this one–big-time. Especially when we were on vacation. It felt like a break from normal responsibilities, so I justified my screen use as such, and it was atrocious. I think that my problem was the fact that I didn’t have any specific goals or strategies–I just told myself to cut back and called it a day. Obviously, that doesn’t work, so this goal is going back on the list.

read at least one book every week

I did not strictly adhere to the “one book a week” policy, but I did read a lot in the winter: 37 books total. January was about half of that with 19 books. It was slightly ridiculous. I’ve been rereading a lot of old cozy favorites that make me feel at home.

write blog posts ahead of time

The fact that I’m writing this sixteen hours before it has to go out should speak for itself.

make my pen pals a priority

I think I wrote approximately one letter since my last post, despite still having a stack of them. To my pen pals reading this post: I’m sorry. Don’t give up on me.

goals

begin drafting a “fun” project

I did not actually draft anything, but I have been working on some character development and outlining for a new project! The progress has been slow, but it’s still there. It’s hard to incorporate writing into my daily life. The actions involved are very similar to that of doing schoolwork, which already takes up most of my day, and by the time I’m done with my school there is nothing I want less than to be still typing away at my computer. I think that I just need to figure out a good strategy to differentiate it from school.

work on making money

I had a plan for this, but it fell through because I did not start it in motion when I should have. I have a big problem with actually starting projects, especially intimidating ones, and I let it get to me this time. Nobody’s fault but my own. I’m kind of disappointed in myself, but I know that I can’t stay disappointed in myself and that I just have to get back up on my feet and get working.

spend more quality time with my sister

Though my only sister is now at private school, we still spend a fair amount of time together (mostly crying over Taylor Swift). I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out with her being away all day, but our relationship seems to not be suffering from her leaving. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

knit a sweater

I never ended up buying yarn for this because I’m broke, but I am almost finished with a really nice scarf! Of course, this is right when it’s starting to get warm and it wouldn’t make sense for me to wear it. Oh well–maybe I can get some use out of it before Michigan decides to behave.

spring plans

habits

get back into running

If you recall, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to run a half-marathon. I still need to get on signing up for one, and I need to start training, especially since I haven’t run since the fall. All the half-marathon training programs I’ve found have you starting out running three miles, and since I can barely get through one without feeling like I’m going to die, I think I need to train. For the training.

…Anyway.

research and implement time management strategies

I’ve been slipping on my time management, and it’s getting to me. I while away hours without really meaning to. It’s been hitting me lately that I can’t get those hours back, and that is a tragedy, so I’m going to up my time management game through this last semester.

stay on top of my Bible reading

Another one of my resolutions was to read the whole Bible in a year. I started out strong, but now I’m finding myself two whole books behind. Oops. I need to weave it into my daily life somehow–maybe make it a part of my school day? We’ll see.

goals

survive junior year

I’m only partially joking on this one. Right now, school is repeatedly punching me in the face. There’s where time management comes in again–I procrastinate a lot and then end up doing all of my schoolwork the day before it’s due. I’ve only got six weeks of school left, but those six weeks are feeling like a lifetime. So my goal here is to just…hang on and not lose my mind. We’ll see how it goes.

outline and draft a new project

While I don’t associate myself with the NaNoWriMo organization anymore, I still want to do something similar to Camp NaNoWriMo and host myself a mini novel writing challenge. I’d like to have a larger goal and a longer time limit. I have an inkling of something to write, and I’m excited about it!

take up a new hobby

My “crafts” board on Pinterest has almost 1200 pins and 22 sections, mostly things that I haven’t done yet but would like to. I even have most of the tools for many of them, but I just haven’t been able to start them for one reason or another. Once school lets out, I intend to actually get started and do something new and creative.

final thoughts

I feel like this is a much longer post than I normally put out. I hope you don’t mind me talking about myself for 1300 words.

You know what–what am I saying? You could have not read this post. But you’re here at the end, and I appreciate you for that.

I’m hoping you all had a good winter and will have a good spring! What did you do this winter? What are some of your goals for spring?

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday!

my 2022 year in books

Liesl Young9 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

I love year-end wrap-ups like Spotify Wrapped and my Duolingo Learner Report, and since I’ve been keeping track of all the books I read this year, I thought, why not do a Liesl’s Reading Wrapped?

So here are my reading stats from this year! I hope you enjoy.

There we have it! Do you keep a reading log? How many books did you read this year?

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday! (Wow…that’s going to be January, isn’t it? Where has the time gone?)

laughter and tears: National Youth Gathering 2022 recap

Liesl Young4 Comments

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

If you read the entirety of my last post (which, honestly, is a feat in and of itself–that one was long), you may recall me mentioning not being able to reply to comments immediately because I was in Houston for the National Youth Gathering. Well, I’m back now and (somewhat) caught up on my sleep, so I think it’s time for a recap.

The National Youth Gathering (henceforth called NYG or simply the Gathering) is an enormous event for youth of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod that happens once every three years. This year it was in Houston, Texas, and there were about 20,000 youth overall who were in attendance. Yes, you read that right: twenty thousand youth. That’s a lot of teenagers rampaging around Houston.

Let me tell you this: NYG was incredible. We laughed a lot, we cried a lot, we learned a lot, we screamed a lot, we sweated a lot, we walked a lot, we didn’t sleep a lot but that was okay. I got to play in the wind symphony during the huge worship service on the last day, and it was the best experience of my life. The Gathering was truly the pinnacle experience of my short 16 years of life so far.

The theme for this Gathering was “In All Things,” with the main verses being Colossians 1:15-20. Here they are if you aren’t familiar with them:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)

All of our Bible studies, Mass Events, and sessions focused around what it was like to have Christ in all things. I went to some sessions focusing on hard topics like sex, abortion, LGBTQ, and coronavirus, and somehow they all managed to tie in that theme. It was interesting how many different takes on one topic we could get.

I wish I could go a little more in-depth on this, but honestly, I’m still processing most of the things we’ve learned. It was a lot to take in all at once, so now I’m going through a little bit of overwhelm. Maybe the theme of “In All Things” will leach into other blog posts at some point, though.

Instead of some deep, philosophical, religious ideas, how about I just regale you with some stories and pictures from the week?

Houston was hot. Most days hovered around the 95-100 degree (Fahrenheit) range, but the humidity could make it feel anywhere from ten to fifteen degrees hotter. Our group, coming from Michigan, wasn’t quite used to it, but we still had an amazing time, and seeing the city was absolutely incredible.

One of the big things at the Gathering is the backpacks. Every year everyone gets a backpack of their very own to carry stuff around for the whole week, and since our group was so large (79 people–!!), the leaders needed some volunteers to help carry all of them. I stepped up to the task and carried 23 all by myself, which was no small feat. It was so fun, though. I’m very proud of that moment.

One of the crowning moments of the Gathering was, I think, the for KING & COUNTRY concert! They sang so many of their hits: “Priceless”, “joy.”, “Burn the Ships”, and they also talked about human trafficking and how they were fighting to end it. There were lots of tears, happy and sad, during this concert, and the picture above is when they told us to turn on our phone flashlights in honor of all the human trafficking victims. Believe me, if you had a phone with a flashlight, it was on.

If you’re not an LCMS Lutheran, you might not recognize this guy, but he is a big deal. This man with the walrus moustache is President Harrison, the president of the entire Missouri Synod. And we got to take a picture with him!! Being in the band has its perks, eh?

There are a lot more pictures and videos, but most of them are with my friends and I’m wary of posting them all on my blog, so I’m not including them here. If you’d like to see them, though, I posted a lot on my Instagram story this past week, so you can check out my story highlights: @theliteraryliesl. (You might need to request to follow me if you aren’t already.)

Final thoughts: If you have the chance to go to a National Youth Gathering at any point, jump at it. I think NYG was the crowning point of my 16 years of life so far, and I’m so thankful for the friends and memories I made.

Until next time,

goodbye, spring; hello, summer

Liesl Young2 Comments

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Quote, Unquote!

Before we begin, I just wanted to say a great big thank you! Quote, Unquote just hit 150 followers the other day. I can’t believe how far we’ve come! Thank you so much for all the support you’ve given to me and my little corner of the Internet.

I’m thinking that once we hit 200, we’ll do something special. A giveaway, maybe, or a Q and A–or whatever you decide. What would you like to see? Leave a comment letting me know.

Anyway, onto the official blog post…

It’s that dreaded time once again. The official first day of summer has rolled around, so it’s time for me to post my updates and goals.

I’m going to say something up front: I did not get much done. It’s been…rough lately. I’ve had horrible writer’s block for about a month or so, and I’m slowly trying to get back into writing. Life has been happening and I would rather it not, but I am still here and I’m still trying as much as I can.

With that disclaimer out of the way…let’s look at my goals from spring, shall we?

goals from spring

1. finish another edit of Shadows of Dreams

I’ve had two teams of alphas go through SoD now, and I’m partially finished with my second macro edit. So I’m not quite finished with the entire edit, but I’m getting there. I’ll give myself half a checkmark on this one.

2. make significant progress on Unwritten

This was left intentionally vague, and I think that I’ve accomplished it. When I said “significant progress,” I probably meant, like, 10K words in my brain, but if it had been left up to me, I probably would have written zero. I didn’t write zero! I made my own progress with about 5K words, I think. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but is, considering how hard for me this story is to write.

3. post more writing on the blog

Heh. Heh heh heh. Um…

4. learn how to improve productivity by getting distracted less

I actually worked on this quite a bit. I’ve been researching different study methods and trying to implement tools to stay focused on my work. I’ve downloaded quite a few productivity apps on my phone and started using Notion, which has been a great help. I have to admit that I’m still working on trying not to be distracted as much, but it seems that the steps I have been taking have been working.

goals for summer

I’m choosing not to set extra-hard goals for this summer, as my summer is going to be absolutely nuts. I’ll be out of town quite a lot, and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to write. That being said…

1. write for fun

I want writing to be fun again. I feel like I haven’t really enjoyed it for a long time, maybe because I’m putting too much pressure on myself. Whatever the case, I want to write something for fun, something just for me, something I’ll enjoy. I miss feeling like being a writer was the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want to reclaim that.

2. write two short stories

I have a few short story contests in mind that I want to enter this summer. The deadline for one is coming up, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish the story in time, but I’d still like to finish it. Plus, writing short stories is so fun for me. As a bonus goal, maybe I’ll write some flash fiction to post here on the blog.

3. finish the next edit of Shadows of Dreams

I’m bringing back my goal from the spring and hoping I’ll finish this next macro edit of SoD. I may run it through another round of alphas just for the characters, but I’ll wait and see until I finish the edit. I’m proud of how far this story has come, though! Just a little bit ago it was a few scribbled pages in a blue binder. It’s looking better and better by the day.

That’s all for now! What are you guys planning to do this summer?

Until next time,