Sometimes I catch glimpses of my old self. Isn’t it funny how you don’t find yourself changing day by day, but then you get to a point where you don’t recognize yourself?

Here’s the thing, I am absolutely where I am now because of what I’ve done and gone through in the past so I certainly wouldn’t change a thing. But I’m very happy with where I am and who I am now.

I’m about through a third of my junior year of college and I guess I’ve been more nostalgic than normal. Not in a “these are the best days of my life,” but in a “these days are the right foundation to live the best days of my life”. It’s like every day gets better and better!

I am, completely, the same girl I am in college and before, but the difference is that I know myself better. I can make better decisions and be more proactive about what I need to do for myself. Part of that is going through those rough patches and finding out what really is the end of my rope. Franklin D. Roosevelt said it best, “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” And the way up? One small pull and lift at a time; while you’re doing that, you’re getting stronger and stronger. While there might be a slip here and a slip there, if you’re putting in the effort, the overall progress is up. And even if you slip way down again to the end of your rope, you’ll find that your rope is a bit shorter, and you can climb up a little bit easier.

This year was intense, in a good way, for me. So much happened that I was neither expecting nor used to and finally getting into the groove and rhythm of working (and in my apartment).

Transitioning once again, as I tend to find myself doing around the fall, I’ve been making more time for myself. More time disconnected. More time with friends and family. I’m still that same girl with workaholic tendencies, but I know how important it is for me to not let myself get into that deep hole. As far as I’m concerned, knowing when to take a step back, whether it’s an afternoon during a crazy week or a long weekend during a lull in the schedule, is major progress. I feel the same, and I feel different.

So here’s to the experiences and to becoming better versions of ourselves.