Welcome to my Jordan year. I’m not really sure what that means. As a Tar Heel, I have to take every opportunity to make references to the greatest basketball player of all time. Moving on. This year was actually kind of a roller coaster. I moved to the largest city in the United States, started a new degree, and made some serious strides in my content creation career. It was a big year. I had a lot of expectations for my first year in NYC. I also had a lot of fear and anxiety and uncertainty. Here are 23 things I learned and what came to pass in my 23rd time revolving around the sun.
The Year With Major Shock Value
Last August, I didn’t realize the sheer magnitude of the reality check that moving to New York City truly was. It was so very easy to feel like I needed to jump into every opportunity as soon as my body crossed the city limits. I wanted to have a friend group akin to the one that graced my screen every Tuesday on The Bold Type. My wardrobe needed to mirror the style-savvy SoHo girls that dotted my newly curated Instagram feed. I wanted my life to be like the movies filmed literally every day in this city.
My birthday last year was not great. I hadn’t found my posse of clever gals, hated literally every single piece of clothing in my closet, and I hadn’t made a single plan to do anything for my birthday. You should know that I’m incredibly dramatic and it had been a little under two weeks in NYC by the time my birthday rolled around. Everything takes time to evolve. It’s taken a year to make a couple of really great friends. I don’t have concrete plans for tonight. In fact, I’ll probably be working late. That’s okay because I learned how important it is to celebrate yourself a little bit every single day.
Top(similar) | Shorts | Shoes | Purse(similar) | Scarf (similar)| Headband
The Year of Self Awareness
I’ve made more time to see movies by myself. I’ve found a workout that I’ll literally brave NYC thunderstorms for. I make time for the things I love to do and I’m okay with spending time by myself. My point is that I don’t need to have one day to be packed with a focus on me because I make sure to focus on myself every day in the smallest but most effective ways.
Several times this past year, I’ve come to know that financial and mental health is just as important as physical health. It’s a balance of all of these that makes life run smoothly and look effortless. I’m building each of these areas little by little which is why my word of 2019 was consistency.
The Year I Learned to Ask For Help
In my early twenties, my support system is top-notch. It’s okay to let friendships that don’t serve you fade away. There’s this assumption that as you get older, you’re supposed to become more independent, or self-serving. I’ve always been an independent person and never thought to rely on my parents much. Although, that’s not to say they weren’t there to keep me from falling due to my own missteps. But, I found myself constantly spending hours with them on FaceTime chatting pretty much about nothing and catching up on what was going on in my hometown. You’ll start to miss your parents more even when you thought you’d need them less.
The Year I Fell In Love with NYC
A good brunch can cure all your woes. The funniest people thrive on Twitter. Don’t apologize for living your life. I spend way too much coffee on really good iced coffee. I love traveling by water. My friends are all older than me. You’re not a local until you’ve nailed down the trifecta: bodega, bagel, and trendy coffee shop. I love being a tourist in my own city. Take more pictures.
The Year I Got Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
My greatest growth occurred when I was the most uncomfortable. We learn the most about ourselves and each other when we have the courage to address the elephant in the room. Our biases must be challenged in order to truly know where we stand. I love hearing people’s stories more than I like telling my own. It probably stems from the fact that… I have an incredibly real fear of people thinking that I’m boring. This has hindered me from making some lasting connections. It’s my goal this year to be more confident in my own ability to be interesting and engaging. One of the greatest disservices you can do to yourself is not seeing the world.
If you don’t feel like an opportunity or situation is fueling you, get out of it. Go where you flourish. My work environment is long hours and repetitive tasks that almost always don’t work. But, I feel comfortable asking questions and submitting ideas and collaborating. Prioritize your ability to put your best foot forward.
Lastly, be booked and busy but remember that rest is more important than you think.
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Keep on keepin’ on,
