It’s officially been one full month since I’ve turned a year older. I always try my best to at least do a birthday blog no matter how bad I am with this so I can keep myself accountable of the progress (or lack thereof) I’ve made over the course of my life. So here goes..

The past year felt like a blur—a fast-paced cloudy struggle with lockdowns, quarantines, working from home, lots of transitions, anxiety inducing moments, and lots of mentally draining situations. But it has also been a year of persevering, of trying to look at the bright side, trying to keep a positive mind, and trying to always look for that light at the end of the tunnel even though the world seemed like it was falling apart; and I have to give myself a pat on the back for that. It’s been one heck of a year, but we’re still here.

Even though there are many times I feel like I’ve achieved nothing the past year, I think of all the moments where I felt alive, when the little happiness gave me hope, when it motivated me to get up and get at it. This might sound really cheesy but it does help. All the podcasts I’ve listened to, all the meditations I’ve done, all the hard work I’ve put into my jobs, and all the relationships I’ve nurtured whether offline or online have really contributed to my mental and emotional wellbeing. And I thank life for that.

Playing tennis has also been one of the factors of me releasing stress, and that has been such a great sport to go back to. Now that I play it so often, I’m kind of regretful that I stopped when I was in elementary school.. oh well, there’s a reason for everything.

As Gemini season comes to a close (yes, I went there), I’d like to end by writing down good memories I had over the past month. I celebrated my birthday with my closest friends and family, caught up with friends I’ve haven’t seen in a while, took mini staycations and trips that livened up my soul. I also had the chance to get my first dose of the vaccine just a few days before my birthday.. and that was one of my goals for this year. I am grateful to be healthy, happy, to be working, and surrounded by people I love. With that, a happy birthday to me.

No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

Maya Angelou