Here we are at the end of yet another year. I know, I pretty much never post on Mondays like this, but I wanted to make sure I fit my end of the year post in before Friday. To be completely transparent I have started writing this post a few times now. This year was a doozy to say the least. Quite frankly I found 2021 to be mentally exhausting and I am not about to go into politics or the pandemic or anything of the sorts. We are all living in the same world right now, I know we all are fully aware of what is going on. But I do think it is safe to say that this year has mentally drained all of us in some way. So, let's dive in a little bit here!

This year marked one of the biggest steps in my life which was moving out of my parents' house and having my very own space. In a lot of ways this was very emotional and difficult for me, in just as many ways I loved it. I went from living under my parents' roof to my own and being responsible for every aspect of my life. Now, I did a lot of things independently while I lived there, but it was nice to just have some of Mom's cooking on nights I didn't feel like cooking. I also am very close with my parents, so the change was very emotional for me as well. This was pretty much the defining moment of 2021 for me and the biggest change. This year I also found a love of watercolor painting as I have previously mentioned, re-sparked my love of Marvel movies, made my very own sourdough starter from scratch, and found a love of silent movies. Looking back, I truly did a lot this year, even if they were all insignificant things, they still made up and entire 365 days of my life.

This past year has been hard on many of us as well and that does not go forgotten. I personally went to more funerals that I would care to have attended. Work was busy and overwhelming at times, and that took a bit of a toll on my mental health. I am lucky though and it was an insignificant change compared to others. Personally, I was able to recognize when I needed a break and I made sure I took it. I made time for myself when I could. I painted when I wanted to express myself. I journaled when I needed to expel an emotion. I read so I could escape the real world for even just a few moments. I also stopped obsessing with the media and political coverage. I stat informed now, but not more than I need to as following every small thing was only heightening my anxiety. I found a balance and took breaks where I needed to. 

I will be 30 on Friday, and part of me is dreading that, but a bigger part of me wants to spend the first year of my 30s the best I can. I know I say this every year, but I want to focus in on my diet and exercise more. Instead of restricting to the point of obsessing I want to find a balance. I want to find a level of exercise that I feel comfortable with and can grow with. I want to gain that spark I had for the gym before the pandemic hit. I also want to make more time for my hobbies. I would love to do some more painting. Maybe get another book I can follow for more practice and explore the medium even more. I would love to watch the Marvel movies in chronological order and read even more than I did before. I want to spend the first year of my thirties really focusing in on me, before I have a family, I need to change the focus to in the future. 

If you are reading this, I want you to take some time and really reflect on your year. Are you satisfied with how your time was spent? If not, how can you change that in 2022? Did you surround yourself with people that truly care about you? How can you change your life in the new year to live your life to the fullest? I know this sounds cliche but if 2021 has taught me anything, it is that our time here on this earth is limited, and we never know when that time will be up. Are you making the most out of it? To end I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy new year! Let's all make 2022 a great year!