It’s been almost a year since my last blog post, and what a year it has been. I’ve been sitting here looking at this blank page for a few days. Heck, I’ve been thinking about this blog post for a few weeks. Where do I start? What do I say? How did I do this before?

But then I realized that I just needed to do it. Sit down and write whatever comes to mind.

My life has changed so much over the past nine or so months. I’m currently sitting at my desk in my semi-newish apartment, living with my boyfriend of a little over 2 years. We’ve been living together for the past 5 or so months in a place we both love—me, especially with our walk-in closet 😉 Moving away from home has been a huge adjustment. This is my first time living away from home (we’re not too far), and it has been different, I am still learning.

I got a new job; this month actually marks one year with me at this company. It feels like the year at my new company went by really fast and slowly at the same time. I am learning so much—literally every single day. More than my previous company. Trying to balance work and being a content creator has actually been a bit of a struggle. But hey, I am trying!

I saw my first Broadway show. I saw Wicked, and oh my gosh, now I realize why it’s been on Broadway for years. It truly was a magical experience, and I cannot wait to see more shows.

I went to Turks and Caicos, Aruba, and Japan. Turks and Caicos was probably the best Caribbean vacation I have been on, and I recommend it to everyone. I went to Aruba for my mom’s birthday, and it was such a special memory, and I would love to do more mother-daughter trips in the future. Japan was honestly such a spur-of-the-moment trip idea, and I am so happy I was able to go. It was my longest flight, so my anxiety was high. I can’t believe how clean it was—fun fact, there are no garbage cans outside there, so everyone holds their trash until they get home. So the city is just SO CLEAN. The food was spectacular—if you are a sushi lover, it was honestly the best I have ever had. I am truly ruined with sushi now, as nothing else compares. The katsudon was delicious. Things were more affordable than I thought. Trains were our main source of transportation (besides walking, where we walked like 20k steps a day). We saw so many temples, and because we went around New Year’s, we also saw a lot of traditions. We went to an onsen and saw Mount Fuji, which was the most breathtaking experience. I can do a full blog post on my trips in the future.

I turned the big 3-0 too. I celebrated with all of my family and friends. I felt so much love, and I am so blessed to have all of my friends and family surrounding me.

I had a lot of health issues over the past few months. I am finally getting some answers, but it has been quite stressful and actually takes a toll mentally and physically. Mentally, because I am worried about the what ifs and the stress, or worry about not feeling well. When I don’t feel good, will it affect me day by day or mess up my plans? Physically, because of the pain, I stopped working out for a bit. But now that I am moving in the right direction health-wise, I am making note of the foods I am consuming, ensuring I am moving my body for at least a half hour a day, and making tiny changes that I will speak on in a future post.

The moral of the past year is: say yes. Take the chance; nothing lasts forever. Nothing or no one should hold you back. Just take that first step, write that first blog post, take that long flight, and build memories. Stop doubting yourself; believe in yourself and what you can do.

Whether it’s makeup tips, fashion hacks, words of encouragement, videos, or lifestyle content, I hope I can continue to be here for you all like I was a few months ago. Thank you for letting me take that much-needed time off and for welcoming me back with open arms.