Journey to 26- Finale

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I am officially 26 and I feel good.

Doing this blog challenge has been just that, a challenge. Overall it was fun and I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did during this process.

August has been a busy month for me in general, so now that I’ve gotten through my birthday I’m starting to feel settled.

I’m getting excited about a trip I’m taking to Paris & London in a little over two weeks!!!! You guys will definitely see lots of pictures during & after the trip.

I wanted to take this time to give this series a proper ending and talk about some of the things I’ve learned from this challenge/my 25th year.

I can stand on my own two feet

25 was my first full year of living alone and while challenging I have learned how to be a better problem solver and how to support myself.

It’s okay to ask for help when you need it

I had never realized how much I struggled to ask for help before the past 6-9 months. Before even 3 months ago I got anxious when I had to ask people for things, even when I knew they would say yes without hesitation. Now, I’m able to ask for help quickly and easily, because I understand that we are here to help one another.

Doing something everyday is hard

Whether it’s fitness, meditation, eating healthy, or this challenge I have found with all my routines it is hard to do something every single day. My job is somewhat unstructured so my day to day often looks different. It makes it hard sometimes to stay grounded with routines when your work hours change daily. The biggest thing with this one for me is to be gentle with myself and go with the flow. I’m actively practicing not allowing a failed routine ruin the rest of my day.

There are many other things I’ve learned over this past year, but I don’t want to go on forever.

Thank you all for following along in this journey! I have lots of ideas for more content that’ll be coming soon. In the meantime, if you all have questions or things you’d like to see from me, feel free to leave a comment!

The Virtue of Doubt Review

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The Virtue of Doubt is a new, original book by Jillian Richardson, a self published author and professional therapist.

I am so glad I have been able to experience this book. Not only is it a classic, beautifully conceptualized piece of literature, it also features unique artwork by jry_designs.

Reading this was like taking a journey through the African diaspora. In the book, Richardson addresses the feeling of being black in America, the silencing of women in a patriarchal society, the voyage of two lovers trying to find their way, and many other topics relevant to us today.

This is a true work of art and I think everyone will take away something different from reading it.

If you are interested in having the book for yourself, Kindle versions are available for 99 cents, and FREE if you have Kindle unlimited.

Click here: Virtue of Doubtto get your copy today!

You owe it to yourself to experience this book.

Journey to 26-Day 22

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I’m going to see Beyoncé (& Jay Z) tomorrow! I’m super excited!

I just finished my mani-pedi to prepare for the show. My foot bath is one of the best things I own and it saves me a lot of money and time.

I was preparing to write today and figured I could talk about some of the ways I save money and hopefully get some tips from you all as well.

Some of my favorite money saving tips:

At home mani-pedis

Make tea/coffee at home, instead of trips to Starbucks

90% of the meals I eat, I cook at home

I rarely buy meat when I shop for groceries

I don’t shop very often, when I do I go thrifting & avoid fast fashion when possible

I use Airbnb or stay with a friend (when possible) for vacations

I don’t have cable (Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, etc. meet all my needs)

I make and stick to grocery lists to prevent grabbing things I don’t need

I use resources to find free things to do in my city or when traveling- my favorite Nashville-based sites are Nashville Scene & Nashville Guru

Journey to 26-Day 21

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I’ve been thinking a lot about faith lately.

What does it mean to have unwavering faith?

I often tell myself things like “everything will be okay” “the universe has your back” & “everything happens for a reason” during moments of anxiety. Telling myself these cliches along with other practices are helpful on tough days, but sometimes I wonder how strong my faith really is.

I question this because anytime I encounter a crisis (minor or major) I experience a familiar anxiety. I feel like if I truly believe I am fully supported, am I to face these times with calm or is it completely normal, no matter how strong your faith is to freak out from time to time?

This is for sure more of an existential crisis (which happens a lot for me), but either way I want to get stronger in my faith. One way that I reassure myself when I feel uneasy is to reflect on everything I’ve been through up until this point, sometimes I feel like I’ve lived multiple lives because I’ve had so many different experiences.

Above all I want to feel sure that I am on the right path and trust the messages I’m receiving from God without needing proof first.