It’s hard for me to put into words what this year has meant to me. When I was a teenager and having a particularly difficult time just starting out on my own, a very kind and wise friend told me something that has always stuck with me. She said, As a kid, your life is very circumstantial. But as you grow up, your life can be whatever you want it to be.
Of course it is never that simple, but I took those words to heart and began a long process of becoming the kind of person I wanted to be and building a life that I love, with people who love me and care for me. Even a year ago, much less as a teenager, I couldn’t have even imagined this past year.
I have been to five different continents, including South America, Africa, and Australia for the first time. I went to ten different countries, most of them for the first time.
This year has taught me that sometimes life can be really good, even if it is not easy. That it is better to just enjoy the ride, even when things don’t go according to plan. That I can like being by myself. That I need to pay really close attention when I have an opportunity, and understand myself enough to say yes to what I really want. I realized that I can’t wait until some hypothetical future date to live in a way that makes sense to me when that time may or may not ever arrive.
Mostly, I am just really grateful, and excited for whatever comes next.
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