Two thousand seventeen started, for me, in a bar in Uptown Minneapolis, Minnesota. As the clock struck midnight, I had my first New Year's kiss with my boyfriend. A few days later I was walking into an elementary school, palms sweating and my heart racing. This was the start of my student teaching. Late to mid-March, I taught my 5th grade students for two weeks straight all on my own, which was both incredible and terrifying at the same time. I felt proud, accomplished, and t