Hi everyone! Today is my 22nd birthday (wow that year flew by) and I thought it would be perfect to do a recap of my year and give you guys a life update since I haven’t in a while. 

Today has been such a great day! I started the day with a workout at my favorite gym, Rise in Hamburg, which was a great way to begin the day. After our workout, my friend Carolyn and I went to brunch with my mom which was delicious. I couldn’t think of anything specific I wanted this year, so my mom and I decided to go shopping to pick out a few things. We had so much fun and I found a couple adorable pieces. When we got home we decided to take a short hike with Scout at one of my favorite spots- the foliage was stunning! Tonight we’re having a few close friends over for some cake and wine and I couldn’t be more excited. 

     

Typically I spend the summer traveling, but I spent my summer by the lake with my family which could not have been better. Our cottage has always been a happy place for me and somewhere I’ve spent so many summer days since I’ve been young. Another thing that brought me back to my youth was our family greenhouse! You may have seen on my Instagram, but since I moved home I’ve been helping my family run our greenhouse. It was such an escape for me during quarantine and something I’ve become very passionate about. Being able to be surrounded by plants and warmth in the cold months of quarantine was such a blessing. Through all of this- I really have realized how much I love being home and how important family is to me. So many of you check in with me about my dad and how he is feeling and I really cannot thank you all enough. It is definitely tough to watch the strongest person I know fight through this but being home has meant so much to me. The time I’ve spent with my family the past few months have been invaluable (even with the occasional disagreement lol) and I know I will look back in my life and appreciate this time more than anything. 

September had its ups and downs for sure. I went through a breakup that came very out of the blue and has been tough on me. I’m so thankful to have friends and family that were there to pick me up when I was down. I’ve also been working out a lot which has been really good mental health-wise. I had never gone through a breakup like this before and quite honestly didn’t know how to handle it. I feel like I almost ignored it and my feelings when it first happened and then one day everything hit me like a ton of bricks. I took a girls trip soon after that which could not have been any better. I went with two of my friends who are like family to me and have always been there for me and I could not love them more. Even my friends that couldn’t be with me were always there for me and so kind. If any of you are reading this- you mean the world to me. Through this experience, I learned that it’s okay to be sad or angry- and most importantly it’s okay to express those emotions. Typically I am a very happy and energetic person so when I see myself a certain way I try to suppress it and ignore what I’m feeling. That definitely is not the right move in this situation and I felt so much better after a few good cries. Even though this situation has been tough on me- I’m excited to focus on myself and what’s to come. I truly believe that God always has a plan and everything happens for a reason.

I wanted to include this quote that I love. When we were finally able to open the greenhouse for in-person shopping I hung it on the door and it always motivated me. I loved that it used ‘growing’ instead of ‘going’ – very fitting for the greenhouse!

“When the growing gets tough, the tough get growing.”

I am to be 22 and see what this year has in store for me. Thank you all for being my virtual friends and cheers to the year ahead!