Another year has gone by, and what a year it truly was. I started it in the last months of college, and now here I am—a working girl. The leap is crazy, overwhelming, emotional, and exciting all at once, but not as intense as everything that happened in between and the lessons I carry with me afterward.

From January to June, I spent my time savoring my final moments as a student before the real world finally hit. It was an emotional ride because college felt like it ended too soon.

One moment, I was attending classes and laughing with friends, and the next, I was suddenly facing endings I wasn’t fully prepared for.

During that time, I also lost someone close to my heart—someone I had shared the past year and the year before with. That loss took a huge chunk out of me, but it also helped me grow.

His words, lessons, and little bits of wisdom stayed with me long after we went our separate ways. Sometimes people leave, but the impact they made remains.

But as with all things, chapters must end for new ones to begin.

After graduation came my birthday month, and I decided I deserved a break—a time to rest and celebrate before officially joining the workforce.

It turned out to be one of my best birthdays ever, filled with love and joy. Yet even then, the birthday blues crept in, reminding me that growing older also means taking on bigger responsibilities.

From August to mid-October, life felt like an emotional rollercoaster. I questioned whether I was truly ready for adulting. I cried in my room, especially when I was alone.

I savored the quiet luxury of doing nothing but writing novels, but sometimes silence only amplifies your thoughts. There were days I spiraled, doubted myself, and wondered if everything would ever fall into place.

Then came one of the most delightful surprises of my year.

Clocking in

I got accepted at a job in the last weeks of October—the very place where I had done my OJT the previous year. It felt like the universe saying, “See? You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.” Definitely one of the best plot twists of the year.

Now, I have new friends, fresh experiences, and invaluable lessons as a growing journalist. And honestly? I couldn’t ask for anything better.

As the year almost ends, I look back at the times I doubted myself and cried quietly in my room. Yet here I am—still standing, stronger and more hopeful than before. The new year will always bring something new… chances, growth, and sunshine.

For anyone going through something similar, here’s what this year taught me:

• Growing up is scary, but it also makes you stronger in ways you never expected. 

• It’s okay to rest. Pausing doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. 

• Losing people hurts deeply, but the lessons and memories they leave with you endure.

• Adulthood comes with doubts, tears, and a lot of overthinking—and that’s completely normal. 

• The right opportunities will come at the right time, even when hope feels distant.

• You are capable of surviving far more than you think.

Here’s to a new year, fresh beginnings, and kinder days ahead.