2024 will go down as one of the worst years of my life. This year consisted of some serious low, lows and high, highs. My biggest battle this year was the battle I had within myself. This past school year was rough. But, this specific semester was the hardest semester I have ever had. Juggling three jobs, six classes, grieving the loss of family members, learning how to learn about my adult body, and everything else in between has seriously been so hard. I’ve explained in previous posts that your twenties are the hardest and I will forever stand on that. I’ve never experienced so much sadness and trauma ever in my life until I entered into my twenties. Grieving the loss of a parent who is still alive is also another pain I never thought I’d endeavor. Everything has happened too fast and I’ve only been in my twenties for four years. When I was a kid I would fantasize how perfect my life would be when I reached the ages 20-25 and so far those have been nothing short of challenging. It’s hard for me to talk about my life without being so dark but I don’t need to sugar coat the things I’ve gone through nor want to ignore those points in my life because I know that those hard times were only part of the process of preparing me to be a better and stronger human.
Though this year was the hardest, this year has taught me so many things that have helped shape me into a better person. I have grown so much in many different aspects, that almost the things that happened this year were meant to happen. During this year I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to prioritize my health and wellness, by noticing the changes within my body. I’ve learned how to prioritize my mental health. I’ve learned how to create boundaries with people even if that meant bonds would be broken. I’ve learned how to stand up for myself and to not feel guilty for standing my ground. I’ve learned how to properly love someone and to be loved. I’ve learned that having empathy is a strength rather than a weakness. I’ve learned that achieving big goals means that achieving small goals comes first. I’ve learned that everyone has different perspectives on things, and that’s okay. I’ve learned that people are not always going to agree with what you agree with, and that’s okay. I’ve learned that the things I love about myself are not going to be loved by someone else, and that is okay. I’ve learned that what I love about myself and my body only matters to me and to not give a damn what someone else thinks about me. And most importantly I’ve learned that the hardships I’ve encountered have only shaped me to learn more about myself, and to love myself wholeheartedly.
Truly and fully accepting the good in the bad, and the bad in the good in my 2024 yin yang year.
Unruly Bodies 
I really admire how you’ve turned such a difficult year into something meaningful and transformative. While I haven’t faced the same kind of lows you’ve described, I can relate to those moments when life feels overwhelming, like you’re being pulled in too many directions. Balancing school, work, and personal growth is something I’ve struggled with too—it’s so easy to feel like there’s no room to breathe, and it takes so much effort to keep going. The part where you talked about learning to love yourself, even if others don’t see what you see—that hit close to home. I’ve definitely wrestled with self-confidence and the pressure to meet other people’s expectations. It’s inspiring to see you reach a place where you prioritize your own opinion of yourself over anyone else’s. That’s something I’m still working on, and your words remind me it’s okay to take that journey one step at a time. And while I haven’t experienced the kind of deep grief you mentioned, I can relate to feeling like life moves too fast, leaving you struggling to keep up. It’s so hard to process everything when it feels like one challenge comes right after the other. But the way you’ve found meaning and balance in all of it is a perspective I really admire and something I hope I can carry into my own life when things get tough.