The first day of fall is tomorrow, and I am utterly thrilled! 2016 has been a rough year. I have been dragging my feet through it like thick, sticky mud. It’s been 10 months since P (my new fiancé!) joined the Army Reserves; teaching us both in unmeasured capacities, this time has put me face-to-face with the challenge of being okay with unwanted amounts of independence and uncertainty. Instead of using this time to “reconnect with this creative space, and bring it back to life” (via my 2016 goals), I have neglected to fuel this blog for the growth and possibility it possesses.
Tomorrow is the first of day of autumn, my most favorite season of all, and as cliché as it is, there’s no better time to “turn over a new leaf.” Just yesterday, I found out that the ad network I’ve used for my blog for some time went under. This blog is not driven by the small ads you see, but I took it as a sign — to start fresh, turn to a new page in my book post on my blog, and begin again.
I suppose you could say this rough year has also felt like a “quarter life crisis”, one where I am constantly asking myself what my passions are, what my strengths are, what do I want to learn, where do I want to be, and what is my purpose (is there only one!?). Huge questions, right? And none that I have answers for.
This blog has some not-so-hidden answers though. For when I write, or when I blog, I feel a sense of purpose sharing my wellness-inspired lifestyle via food, movement, and travel. When a photo turns out well (on the rare occasion), I feel joyful and inspired. When I interact with bloggers and readers alike, I feel connected. When I publish a post, I want to create another. When I do the technical back-end blog chores, I feel capable. When I collaborate with other companies and entrepreneurs, I feel driven. I mustn’t give up on this space where these answers live, but rather I choose to turn over a new leaf.
Cheers to this new season!
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Yay! I’m happy to read you’re going to continue blogging. I thought this was going to be a goodbye post! 2016 has been the hardest year of my life so far so I totally feel you. There’s been lots of health discoveries/trials, as well as trying to find happiness in my life when sometimes I’ve felt like I’m so not on the path I thought I’d be. Life can be rough but appreciating what you DO have is so helpful. I’m glad blogging is a space that fuels your fire. It stopped fueling mine a while ago, but I do miss it sometimes!
Definitely not a goodbye post. Thanks for being such a loyal reader, Kelli. Gratitude/appreciating the good (whether it be small) can be oh so helpful. I’ve started a gratitude journaling practice – a simple task than can have a big impact on daily mood/happiness.
I feel like I’m going through a (second) quarter life crisis too! Asking myself similar questions, we should talk! Haha. I have also had a really difficult 2016. It’s been far the hardest year I’ve ever had and challenged me and made me question a lot of things. I love the idea of a fresh start with a new season..
Luckily, we are more than halfway through 2016 and I sense 2017 will be a brighter year for us both! No one ever said our twenties were easy ;)