Reflections on 2023
When I think of how 2023 started and how it ended the word that comes to me louder than all others is “relieved”. This year found me in flux in so many different ways and, despite how the changes first appeared, all ended up being for the absolute very best. This was the year that I put letting shit go into extreme practice and things have just kind of worked themselves out.
When I moved to Dallas, TX in the Summer of 2022 I had intention to live a bit selfishly, try new things, challenge my comfort zone, and strive to be the version of me that I liked best. I celebrated my first year in Dallas with new friends and a sense of self assurance that I haven’t felt in a long time…and when I think about it not like I’ve ever really felt before.
After the Dark
Along the way there have been upsets. The first three months of 2023 were like a raging storm of frustration and disappointment. The budding romance that I was excited for soured and then ended without a word. The old apartment I had turned out to be filled with black mold and my car was stolen around the time the mold was discovered. Shortly thereafter I lost the job that I thought would be a safe space for me to grow and then lost out finalizing the purchase of the 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo of my dreams because suddenly I was unemployed. Finally, I experienced a friendship breakup that devasted me. All of those disappointing things eventually led to much, much better things. Had I not experienced what I did, I may not have had the blessings that were fast coming my way that would replace them . I didn’t stay in the dark long.
Comes the Light
Before my health insurance ended with my old employer, I leveled up Dayjob™ by changing industries and increasing my base salary by nearly $20K and working at much more balanced pace. I restarted my beloved offcultured with my friends, restarted this blog, traveled to New York with friends (who won the trip through a sweepstakes!), surprised my goddaughter on her 7th birthday, met incredible women who have become the dearest of friends, saw the spark of love I have for fashion and personal style return to a blazing fire, and found a new apartment that suits me better than I could have imagined. Fingers crossed, no black mold.
I didn’t get another shot at the Monte Carlo and I haven’t had the promise of a new romance show up quite yet, but all those things in their time if at all. What matters more than what I’ve lost is what I gained. I have peace and love in abundance. I have rest. Oh how I have rested these last nine months; healing from burnout and the frustrations and disappointments that built up over the past few years.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
I’ve learned so much about myself this year and that, dear reader, was the whole point in taking a chance on myself. Trusting my decisions, learning to embrace what my feelings were telling me, and enjoying what I have achieved so far. Looking to the future, I know that I can handle it. I have been the luckiest woman this year and I don’t take that for granted. My optimism for 2024, despite the terribles that are happening in the world, is a healthy one and I have energy in my spirit again. Sharing what I create here brings me joy and serves as evidence that, yes, I absolutely can do the thing.
Whatever your 2023 was like, if it was the worst year of your life, the best ever, or somewhere in between, I hope that 2024 brings you peace, rest, and joy. I hope that you find that opportunities flow to you and that fortune becomes a close friend. I will be here sharing more of my creative journey with you and I’m so excited to see where things go.
Truly,
Claire