new year notes to myself (and maybe you)

hello, everyone! this year did not tiptoe in. it showed up unannounced and made itself comfortable. i hope it ends the same way. the good parts deserve applause and the bad parts deserve one last good cry before january hits, preferably with a glass of wine in hand. 

honestly this year was unexpectedly good. i met someone incredibly smart, kind, and stunning in the way that actually matters. yes, mistakes were made because that is what happens when a connection is real. i believe some mistakes come from love, especially when people choose grace instead of carelessness. enough about my love life before this turns into a dramatic monologue. 

school has been making me feel mixed. i am social, but not reckless with it. i am learning to be careful about where my energy goes because i take everything in too deeply. it affects my focus, my mood, my grades. and yes, i am terrified of failing. 

becoming that girl required honesty. questioning yourself is better than ignoring the feeling that something is off. if you avoid it now, it shows up later in worse ways. i asked myself whether i acted kindly, whether i hurt people without meaning to, and especially whether i chose what was easy instead of what was right. you cannot decide who you want to be if you refuse to look at who you are. eventually, identity stops being confusing and starts being intentional once it becomes a choice. live like it is one. so be kind to who you are becoming.

here are my new year's photos! keep sliving, everyone!