“Everything that happens to you happens for you.” – Glennon Doyle.

I turned 28 recently and, as usual, have been reflecting on the last year of my life. 27 was both a big year and a very calm one. The day before my 27th birthday, I moved to Nashville. I crashed with a friend for a few months before landing a new job and moving into my very first adult apartment, completely on my own. The first three months in Nashville were busy and hectic as I tried to fit into what I thought life here would look like. I think I was trying to fit into my friends’ lives, because they were the only people I had here. Moving out on my own meant settling into my life. That’s where the calm came in; finding my footing in my new life, new job and new city. The time zoomed by and it all feels like a blur to me now. Somewhere in the fog that was 2017, I started to do some soul-searching, looking into myself to examine who I was and what made me happy. I realized I don’t have the ‘travel bug,’ I’m just very nomadic; after six months I was itching for the next adventure.

27 also brought me here, to Living Wonderfilled. Once I realized my love for travel and sharing my experiences, there was no choice but to somehow get here. It has challenged me to be better planner, better writer and better photographer. It has pushed me further towards entrepreneurship, proving my dad right. Again. Dammit.

Physically, 27 was not my year. I would say 27 was a rut in that area of my life. Winter hit me hard, piling on extra pounds from all the comfort food I indulged in. That whole #TreatYourself thing was my actual demise. By the time Spring came, I couldn’t seem to get the ball rolling on any kind of workout routine or regimen. Despite that, this past year also brought about more self-acceptance. I became determined to stop hating my body, even if I wasn’t ready to love it yet.

Mentally and emotionally, 27 was a rollercoaster. Reaching my goal of moving here and starting over was a thrill, but what came six months later pushed me into a tailspin. I realized I had no idea who I was or what I wanted. It was debilitatingly overwhelming to say the least.

At some point in the latter half of 27, I decided to be a bit more selfish. Selfish about who I gave my time to, about who I gave my energy to, and about who I let influence my feelings. I had been trying to please too many people and ended up losing myself. While still mentally exhausting, that part was fun. I learned that ‘No’ is a complete sentence and that it didn’t matter what other people thought about me, I was going to be true to myself no matter what. [Neither of these are groundbreaking concepts, I just wasn’t applying them to my life.]

[dress][shoes][jacket][similar scarf][sunnies]

It’s interesting how cyclical life can be. I started 27 with energy, positivity and self-assurance that waned, turning into self-doubt. The self-doubt turned into boredom and fear before transforming into resolve, which has driven action and steps toward energy, positivity and self-assurance.

That brings me to these photos, me at 28. They may seem arbitrary but oddly enough, my style is the easiest way to outwardly express myself. I’ve never had style or really been into fashion; clothes were a way to hide my body or blend in. Slowly but surely, I’m beginning to realize what I like and dislike. I’ve stopped caring about what size something is and focus on how it makes me feel. This is one of my go to looks for fall, both for the workplace and regular life.

So. Here’s me at 28. I have a feeling this next year is going to rocky but a whole lot of fun!

In case you’re wondering, I did finally get to a place where I love myself. Read about that here!