This year has been one for the books with the amount of traveling that I have done (seven months!) with so many first experiences. It may seem that everything has been perfect, but that is not the reality. I have made so many mistakes, saying things I wish I could take back, losing valuable friendships that I am still mourning, and doing things that I would now do differently. The thing is, if I were to go back in time and fix those mistakes, I wouldn't be the person I am today, whom I've worked so hard to become, so even though some mistakes still weigh on me, I continue to reflect and learn from them. I will say that the hardest things I have done this year have not been putting myself out there or going traveling by myself; rather, they have included placing boundaries with people about whom I deeply care, learning how to show up for myself, and allowing myself to be vulnerable and lean on others.
I received an email with some comments from all of you, and I appreciate them. Honesty is really important to me, and one of the things that I kept mentioning throughout my journey in Canada was my new obsession with the gym. Yes, I started going to the gym because I had extra time and it's helped me become disciplined, but it hasn't been a linear process. I have been called chubby and have struggled with my self-image and self-love my entire life, so I started going to the gym to lose weight but then I became obsessed with eating healthier, counting calories, beating myself up for eating sweets and had negative thoughts when I ate too much which, I think, are things that aren't talked about enough.
