Hey everyone, what’s up?

It’s been such a long time since I’ve written a blog post—I didn’t even realize it had been over a year. Like everyone else, life has truly been life—through the good, the bad, and the in-between. I turned 28 back in March, and I have to say, I had a really good birthday. I was able to enjoy a solo staycation birthday weekend. Since my birthday fell on a Saturday this year, I treated myself: I started with a full-body massage, went to get KBBQ (my favorite) for lunch, went back to the hotel to change and take pictures, and then went out to a nearby restaurant for a nice dinner and some great wine. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve had in a while.

This birthday, I wanted to be alone and just enjoy myself while being in my own solitude. Definitely one for the books!

Although my birthday was great, I’ll admit this past year has been filled with challenging ups and downs—moments where life taught me pain, lessons, and most importantly, more about myself. One of the biggest challenges I faced was last November, when I lost my grandma. If you know me, you know my grandma was everything to me—my best friend. She was the person I could talk to about anything and everything. She taught me so much since I was a kid, supported me, loved me, and accepted me for exactly who I am. I could go on and on about her and still not capture how much she meant to me. I miss her more than words can describe, but I know she’s watching over me and is always with me in my heart.

Losing my grandma taught me a lot, but one lesson that stands out is how loss often brings loneliness—something people don’t talk about enough. Loneliness can be seen as good or bad, depending on how you handle it. For me, I think it can be good. At some point, everyone needs to face it in order to learn how to get through life’s hardest times, whether it’s after losing a loved one or ending a relationship or friendship. Grief is a journey—some days are harder than others—but it’s all part of the process. Life changes after losing someone close, but it doesn’t stop. We only have one life to live, so I try to keep that in mind—living fully, having fun, and cherishing the moments, because I know that’s what my grandma would want.

During my time away from writing, at the end of April I was offered a brand-new job as a Software Engineer focusing on UI/UX design for a private sector tech company. I’m coming up on my three-month anniversary, which feels unreal because time is flying by. So far, I’ve been really enjoying it—I’ve learned so much, added to my skills, and I truly enjoy the flexible schedule, the team I’m on, and the people I work with. This job has been such a blessing and a major win for me, and I’m excited to see how things continue to grow within this position. I’ll definitely keep you updated as things progress—it’s only up from here. I also plan to make a blog post soon dedicated solely to my new role, so stay tuned for that.