My 2021

As the end of the year approaches, we normally start thinking about and reflecting on everything that has happened to us, and 2021 has not been an easy year for anyone. It certainly hasn't for me.

A lot of stuff has gone down, both good and bad. And it's left me a better person than when the year started. So, I wanted to write down everything, good and bad.

The first thing that happened was that at the beginning of January, my then bf decided he wanted to take a break. And let me tell you, it hurt like hell, especially since he was my first real relationship.

So yeah, 2021 did not start off on a great note for me.

On the other hand, I started online therapy through Talkspace, which was something I needed, and not only because of the break. I've had issues I knew I needed to work through.

Wanting guides to help me become a better person, I also dove into self-help books, such as ones for creating boundaries and habits.

They taught me a lot about myself, like I have a problem with automatic assumptions, keeping healthy boundaries between peoples' actions and how I reacted, and not allowing myself to properly feel my emotions.

Oh, and that my self-esteem wasn't as good as I thought. What a bummer that was. And there are other issues, but I think you get the gist.

February wasn't much better.

Right after the worst Valentine's day I'm sure I've ever experienced, my bf broke up with me. It wasn't quite as painful since I'd suspected it would happen, but it still wasn't fun.

Although I did self-publish the second book to my Amazon series, so I did have that. And I joined a great online exercising community for women called Pink Dragon.

But I was a huge mess on the inside.

March was a bit better.

I started ramping up in my quest to find new friends since I seriously lacked and am still somewhat in need. And since Covid was still raging, I couldn't just go out and try to meet people.

So with the help of FB dating and Bumble BFF, I met some really cool people. Some were a lot like me, others a bit different.

The beginning of April started pretty well.

I celebrated my birthday, one day with my parents and the day after with a group of friends, totally nerding out and playing a board game at a sports bar. I did great, considering I had never played it before.

I also hung out with a really cool guy on Easter, neither of us caring it was a holiday. And we clicked. Not that too much has happened between us yet.

That's okay, though. I'm not in a rush for anything like that. And we still talk, so who knows.

But May is where things become really exciting.

After much thought, I decided I wanted to commit to editing. So, I began taking online courses and created my website, Gem In The Rough Editing.

I also got my first official editing job on Freelancer. It was a copyediting gig for the first book in a romance series. And I loved every minute of it.

And I started sharing my stories on Medium. I figured it wouldn't hurt to be on more than one writing platform. Plus, there are plenty of interesting articles for me to read that have taught me plenty on a variety of subjects

June, July, and August were much of the same. Writing on Vocal, working on my blog, trying to find jobs, etc. I even went on a couple of dates. Didn't feel much of anything, though.

I don't really remember much about September.

In October, I published the third book to my Amazon series.

And as we all know, November was NaNoWriMo, so although I didn't officially sign up for the competition, I participated in my own way. And no, I didn't complete every writing goal I had.

The editing jobs lacked for that month, which I should've anticipated, but I didn't. And don't ask me why either. My guess is wishful thinking.

So far, my December has been pretty busy.

I got two editing gigs, published the fourth book for my series, am trying to sell some of my stuff online, and I'm going to Vegas for the holidays (not actually on Christmas, but I'll write about it.)

And if I'm going to be honest, it's a little overwhelming. I'm not used to life events being compressed. This isn't high school, after all, when everything happens within a relatively short time frame.

But I like how Christmas is going to be different this year. It makes being single a lot easier since I was in a relationship last Christmas.

I'll be okay, though. I've made it through the year, which didn't feel possible at certain times. And I have a feeling that next year might be next, like the arrow being drawn back by an archer before being launched into the sky.