and just like that… | a june-dec 2022 recap

note: this has been adapted from the 12/31/2022 newsletter - excuse format!

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oh hey there! 👋🏽

it’s been a while but my, so much has happened this year! especially since my last newsletter…six months ago. 🤦🏽‍♀️

and just like that..

we’ve reached the end of 2022. wild, right?

but I truly hope you’ve been well, hope you’ve been safe, and hope you’ve found lots of moments of peace and joy. I also hope you’ve been having a restful holiday season! ✨

there are so many things to share with you all and what better time to recap and reflect on your life over the last year (or 6 months in this case) than good ol’ new year’s eve!

so here are some really wonderful highlights from my last six months:

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I did a bit more traveling this summer! Before I made a 2-week trip back to the US (which was also really great), I got to visit some folks in Copenhagen! It was really great to reconnect with them and get both a local and tourist experience in this lovely city. 🇩🇰

Check out some photos from my weekend trip there!

While back in the US, I was mostly in NY/NJ, but before that, I was in Boston for the Roxbury International Film Festival. I’ve been with them for 7 years now as a website manager and I always have a ton of highlights but have to say it was really special when we found out we were in the 2022 Best of Boston list - for the 3rd time! It was also a personal highlight to have Nia Long follow us on Twitter after we hosted a throwback screening of Love Jones! 🎬

I moved around and out of London - which was bittersweet.

I first moved out of my student flat in June and after a trip to the US, I came back to London for the summer and had the pleasure to house/petsit for some friends as well. I was able to enjoy a lot of a London summer, but since I was caught up in my dissertation and other life things, time went by quickly and just like that, it was time to head back to the US.

Though I wish I wasn’t doing a major paper over the summer, I still got to finish up my time (at least in terms of living instead of visiting) in London with the famous Notting Hill Carnival! It was an amazing way to celebrate West Indian culture and history in London. There were events all day, every day and I got to celebrate with some dear friends that made it even more fun and special!

Check out more London photos here!

As soon as I touched down back in the US, the crunchtime countdown to my dissertation due date went into full effect. Many stressful long nights (and mornings) eventually led to me producing this nearly 20K word piece of work! I’m still sort of shocked that I did this but I’m also really proud of myself for doing so! 📝

Want to check it out? Keep scrolling for the link!

Well, safe to say all of my hard work and late nights paid off because I got my dissertation mark back and got an ‘A’, or ‘Distinction’!

And to make it even sweeter, because I got Distinction on all my other papers, I got the email that officially states I got my MSc in Library Science - with DISTINCTION! Ya girl officially completed her masters degree with all As! 🥳

I turned 30!

On 11/11/2022 (a great date I might add), I reached the milestone age of turning 30 years old. I enjoy spending the actual day of my birthday solo reflecting, relaxing, and resetting and I’m glad I got to do just that with a mini retreat away in Falmouth, Cape Cod, MA - made possible by flight miles and kind, hospitable folks. I’m really looking forward to what the 30s will bring me.

I had a family-filled Fall! I saw a beautiful couple get married in Chicago. I dined my way through Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival at Disney World with my mom. I got to celebrate the journey of my ancestors on Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize. I shared hugs, laughs, food, and lots of love with lots of family over these last few months. It’s made my heart so full and kept me going while I was also deep in the ‘figuring out my next steps’/job search phase. ♥️

plus, I’m a fall baby so it’s my favorite season! 🍂

Until my next chapter begins, I’m taking some time to reset and (hopefully) relax, focus on some personal projects, pick up some side work (currently petsitting some furry friends over the holidays!) to cover things til I start working and to make it back in London for my graduation and a final hurrah, figuring out my next housing move, and oh right - graduating!

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speaking of graduating and school things, my essays and dissertation are finally up online for viewing!

below are the titles/topics and if you’re interested in checking them out, please feel free to do so!

• ‘Nothing About Youth Without Youth’: A Youth Empowerment Approach to Rethinking Teen Participation in Young Adult Collection Development [Master’s Dissertation]

• Public libraries, teen advisory boards, and UNCRC Article 12: A look at how public libraries are fostering teenagers’ right to be listened to

• A look into public libraries’ social media use in their youth engagement efforts

• Collecting and preserving the legacy of Black film and culture: A brief collection development and management analysis of Black film archives in the United States

• A conceptual analysis of tacit knowledge and its application to knowledge management

• Data curation is the new black: An explorative look of how researchers’ growing needs for data curation services are changing the role of academic libraries

• Bibliographic metadata tools must evolve: A brief look at the significance and evolution of FRBR, LRM, RDA, and BIBFRAME

• Unpacking the Decades-Long Debate on Authorship Order: A literature analysis on authorship order and its impact on the informational professional

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thank you for reading and supporting!

Your support, in all the ways, has made this entire journey possible and has truly meant more than I can ever express.

If you’re looking to celebrate with me for all of these lovely things that have happened and/or want to support me in this final stretch of the journey as I shift into this next chapter, it is beyond appreciated and below are the best ways to do so right now!

paypal: paypal.me/reneeisto || zelle: hey@reneeisto.com || cash app: $reneeisto || venmo: @reneeisto

Also, don’t forget to check out all updates on the reneeisto:london page.

🥂 happy new year, folks! 🥂

hoping 2023 brings us all some more peace and joy into our lives!

til next time,

Renée ♥️☺️