going into the new year

Some thoughts as we enter the new year. Some goals, resolutions, feelings & emotions as we take steps into 2023.

the wildest ride

As we enter the new year, I’ve spent some time reflecting on what it means to be human in a world that has been drastically altered since a pandemic swept our country and entire world over the course of 2+ years. I’ve spent time reflecting on how my role as an employee, sister, friend, daughter, girlfriend, and person has changed. I’ve thought about just how much I have truly changed in the last 3 years. No one can say they had any idea what was coming our way in 2020. All I know is that I am endlessly thankful I was able to travel the world for a year prior to it completely shutting down, and I’m even more grateful that my family (though the majority did get COVID) were all safe and healthy throughout this scary period of time. Though it may have been one of the toughest years, it also catapulted me into some of the most immense growth periods of my young adult life. I entered into the unknown that was online pandemic-college. I planned to spend one semester at home while covid “blew over,” and two years later finished my degree from my home — never knowing my entire collegiate experience would have happened from my kitchen table. I adjusted well, as the girl who was homeschooled for 10 years. I knew the drill. I adjusted quickly to remote learning, and actually learned to love it. I watched scientific documentaries about environmental policy and change from my bed, I zoomed into labs from my kitchen table and dissected animals (much to my moms dismay), on my desk. I grew close to certain Professors even having never met them in person, and I learned to appreciate how flexible and adaptable human beings truly are. Though this period of time was full of unknowns, and the world literally revolved in fear, I began to appreciate things like lockdown with my family — as it gave us time to just slow down. We made tiktoks daily, worked out and made time for self care, and just enjoyed not living in chaos. I graduated with my Bachelors degree this year, bought a puppy, started graduate school for my M.B.A., and got on planes to Turks and Caicos, Philly, Mexico, then to Germany for a few amazing trips with some of the best people. I still managed to create space for my passion for travel even during a global pandemic. I made time and space for concerts, trips to the Cape, nights into Boston, and family vacations up North with my family. We managed to celebrate all holidays together, counting our blessings as we steered clear of infection for the time being. We celebrated milestones, birthdays, new jobs and more — all while making sure to be thankful for what we did have, during the weirdest and scariest time of our lives.

2021 threw us for a loop as we tirelessly worked to manage living throughout another year plagued with COVID. It was also the year we took a spontaneous trip to Iceland and explored some of the most incredible spots in a country so strikingly beautiful. We hiked in New Hampshire and stayed a night in a hut at the peak, we celebrated family reunions up North, and we spent most every weekend on the Cape, soaking up the sun, sand, and limited time we had left of summer. I made trips to Alaska and Cancun in 2021 — masking up and braving airports, planes, and public transportation to enjoy two incredible trips despite COVID and the state of our world. We celebrated small wins — like going out to eat again, and finally spending more time with friends. We made the annual trip to New Hampshire with family and brought the Christmas festivities into the barn to avoid small spaces and the fear of COVID. Through all of it, we managed to make the most of what we had, which was plenty. Leo and I crossed state borders (I think illegal at the time????) to spend time in Lincoln NH in an attempt to create some sort of normalcy.

2020-2022 were the weirdest years of my life. But honestly, they were also some of the best. Though I know its widely unpopular, my genuine opinion is that COVID actually helped us in some ways. Suddenly large chunks of the day were no longer taken up by commuting or nonessential meetings. With the shutdown came a sense of flexibility that was not there before. The pandemic created a world in which people slowed down for a bit. It also created a sense of loneliness, loss, and fear — but it also connected us in so many ways. I choose to look back on it and remember it for those reasons. I reflect on '“lockdown” and sometimes truly miss the pace of that time, when ‘just being’ was the norm, and “being productive” wasn’t measured by how much you were working, how many classes you were taking, etc. but by how many new recipes you made that week, or how many new tiktok dances you attempted. The newfound slow pace may not always be easy to maintain, but continuing to follow that pace I think will lead to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness. Covid really did teach us the importance of slowing down and appreciating the little things; let’s hope it’s here to stay.

beautycounter biz

Back in August, I took a leap and joined Beautycounter, a clean beauty company I love and adore, as an Independent consultant. I joined because I purchased so much from the company and figured the 25% discount would be worth it. When I finally got over the self-consciousness and insecurity of “trying to be an influencer", (because yes, I do want to be an influencer), I started sharing more about Beautycounter, their list of questionable, toxic ingredients that are never included in any of their formulas or packaging, their B-Corp Certification, and their advocacy regarding clean beauty laws and legislation on social media. I became really passionate about advocating for a company that shared my values, and one that had supported me so much through journey in making switches to cleaner and safer products. Through Beautycounter, I also realized my passion for using social and new media to create positive change and it pushed me to show up authentically. I have started utilizing my platforms to highlight what’s important in my life: family, my relationship, travel, my puppy, clean beauty, social justice, daily life, and more.

it’s ok to change your mind (1, 2, 3, or a million times)

A few months ago, I started an internship in Environmental Consulting. I’m not going to pretend I gave it a lot of time or attempted to stick it out even though I didn’t enjoy it — because I didn’t. I instead followed my gut intuition, which was telling me this wasn’t it for me, and I quit. For a few days I felt bad about myself. I felt like I had failed, and I felt like people would judge me. Finally, I chose to let that all go, and remember the fact that as long as I was happy, it didn’t matter. I had previously spent so much time worrying about what other people would think of me, that I didn’t do certain things for that I really wanted to do. At 22, I can finally say I have (mostly) thrown that worry away, and I am shameless as ever about wanting to be an influencer, and just doing what I want to be doing. Though sometimes I feel stupid, still notice things like how many followers I have, etc. I have started to build a better mindset around it: I will show up exactly how I am, and people can either take it or leave it. A few months ago, I started an internship in social media and marketing strategy with a B-Corp certified coffee company called Deans Beans, and have more recently landed a part time position as a Social Media Content Curator and Accounts Manager at Birdhouse Marketing & Design, which will begin come January. I am passionate about leveraging new media to creatively and effectively market companies and showcase their mission, vision, and goals.

thankful

Combining my passions for arts and creativity with business as a vehicle for positive change, I feel I have finally found my niche, and what makes me tick. I’m eager and excited for the next chapter in this work. Come May, I will hopefully be working full time in this field, as my graduate program comes to a close. As I reflect on 2022, but also all the way back to 2020, I’m thankful for a lot. I have started to make a habit out of writing down things I’m grateful for each night. Even if the day wasn’t the best or wasn’t my favorite, I can always find at least 5-10 things I’m thankful for at the end of each day. Being present and thankful for each moment is something I am committing myself to in the New Year. Though it’s also been a “resolution” in past years, I’m giving myself a fresh start to keep actively working at this. I't’s so easy to get caught up in social media, doom scrolling, and comparisons. I find myself doing it far too often, and I have been consciously focusing on catching myself when I do, pivoting my mind away from others’ lives and timelines, and instead focusing on my own.

I hope to conquer new goals in my Beautycounter business in 2023, make strides in my education and knowledge regarding marketing and creative design by taking master classes and refining my skills, and take time for myself as I enter the workforce and finish my journey in school (at least for the time being:).

I have goals of getting involved in theatre again, beginning to learn a new language, and making time to read more. I want to continue advocating for what’s important to me, and continue not giving a fuck what other people think. Because though cliche, the saying is really so true: people will judge you no matter what you do, so you might as well do what you want.

Though I haven’t previously been a fan of new year’s resolutions (if you wanna start something, today is as good a day as any:) I am genuinely advocating for goals and resolutions for the new year. Let 2023 be a new chapter, and set yourself some goals you want to achieve this coming year. (and let this serve as a reminder that it’s totally ok to have some or all of the same goals as you did in 2022). Baby steps are steps.

x,

a