This year turned out to be a major turning point for many things in my life, and I wanted to reflect on it in the form of a journal to get all of my thoughts down, and so I'll be able to look back at this in the future! :)

The new year started off well enough, with us getting some rarely seen snowfall in Georgia back in January. It always fills me with a sense of wonder and nostalgia since I grew up in Minnesota where our winters were always very snowy.

February rolled around, and I was trying on wedding dresses... I was freshly engaged as of December 2024. What was supposed to be a joyful time quickly spiraled into a lot of distressing events that I will just summarize as the crumbling of the relationship with my ex-fiancé. Although this was a very difficult time, hindsight is 20/20 as they say, and I'm so thankful I didn't go through with things because I would have been living my life in a way that confined me within a little box of who I was expected to be. I never would have been truly happy, and I see that more clearly than ever now looking back.

March came around, and I was spending more time with a certain sweet fox   kalahari 🧡 We were commiserating a bit since he had also been through a painful breakup towards the end of 2024. We had been friends for a long time, and it always felt so easy to talk to each other, so a connection naturally grew from there - we realized how much we really have in common, that there was mutual attraction, and that we clicked in a very special way. In March I also went to Bewhiskered, a furry convention in North Carolina, and hosted a panel for the first time - a Pokémon panel that ended up being a big hit! I also got to debut my orange cat fullsuit, Kylin! I'm on staff for this con, and got to help out with registration too, and it always feels good to give back to events like this!

Over the next couple of months, I felt really encouraged to keep growing and thriving despite the pain that I had gone through with the breakup. I kept making art and cut my hair short as a symbol of a fresh start and a new me. I felt a renewed hunger for life and a desire to put myself out there and experience new things. In April, I went on some really great adventures with Kal, one of which was a trip down to Florida that included fossil hunting, making new friends, and even a visit to a nude beach! This was a first for me, and I was so proud of myself for trying something new that past me would have been way too nervous to try. I have Kal to thank for being such a wonderful guide, for lifting me up and building my confidence. It's really helped me take the leap to do these things. I also got to visit Helen, GA with Kal and friends and it was so lovely! It's so amazing having such a supportive group of friends, and we always have a blast together. It was actually on this trip where I was feeling so in love, but was a little too shy to say "I love you" yet. I was definitely thinking it though! It's such a giddy feeling, and I'll always look back on it fondly... Falling in love with someone so amazing and knowing they feel the same really feels like being on top of the world. My anthem was the song feelslikeimfallinginlove by my favorite band, Coldplay.

"Oh, it feels like
I'm fallin' in love
Maybe for the first time
Baby, it's my mind you blow

It feels like
I'm fallin' in love
You're throwin' me a lifeline
And this is for a lifetime, I know"

Then, it was suddenly already May! I moved into a new apartment, and it's been so wonderful. It's a really special feeling to have a place to call my own (and it's even better being able to hang all the furry art I want on the walls, haha). FWA happened just a little while after that, and it's now a very special con for me since that's where Kal and I became "foxficial" and confessed our love for each other <3
We made some memories that I'll cherish forever, and it feels so special sharing this hobby. It's a connection on a level that I've never experienced before. Fursuiting together as a couple for the first time was surreal in the best way, and I loved every second of it!

In June, I went to my first work conference in Atlanta. I got to meet so many new people and I felt really confident after doing so much networking! Having been an introvert my whole life, it's a big deal for me when I'm able to do things like this. I've come such a long way and it feels good. Of course I still have moments of self doubt and anxiety, but overall, looking back at all of the progress I've made is super encouraging.

The summer included a lot of fun with friends, time at the pool and outside, I visited family in Tennessee, created more artwork, and celebrated the Foxie's birthday by surprising him with a trip to the North Georgia Zoo to see some IRL foxies and also visited the classic Pizza Hut!

In August, we visited Chattanooga, I went to a concert with friends, and I even went to a shooting range for the first time (which is another huge deal for me, because firearms were a source of fear and unfamiliarity before) and I feel so much more comfortable with it now! We saw Mystery Skulls (my 4th time seeing him in concert) and it was amazing as always!

In September, we checked out the World Oddities Expo in Atlanta which was super cool, and hit up Trader Vic's which I absolutely love. So many good tiki drinks! Oh yeah, I've also learned how to make painkillers (the drink) from memory at home. Yum! My friends and Kal absolutely spoiled me for my birthday. I was treated by a friend to a fluid arts class where we did some beautiful acrylic paint pours.
For my birthday, Kal took me camping for the first time (yeah, first time at 27, my family never liked camping when I was growing up lol) and I really loved it. He also treated me to some absolutely gorgeous artwork of Delta!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/63290693/

I was absolutely blown away! I cried a little when I first saw it. We went to another concert and then another trip back to Helen; this time he surprised me with a trip to a capybara café that also had fennec foxes, a coati, ruffed lemur, ring-tailed cat, honey badger, and a muntjac deer! It was truly the experience of a lifetime. I love animals so much and it's so magical getting to see them up close and hold some of them. I really love lemurs, so that was one of my favorites. We ended September with Furry Takeover, a small convention in Fontana Dam, NC! It's so serene and it's a nice con to unplug and get in some quality time with friends and experience the nature up there. If you'd like to check out the YouTube video I made of our trip, it's a short one but you can check it out here:

https://youtu.be/bOvHKQ_0YIQ?si=D3Z01ooLom6O8K_B

I debuted the fullsuit of my sabertooth tiger, Piper at this con, and made some more wonderful memories. It was awesome, especially since I missed out on last year's FTO!

I also got a Switch 2 and I've really been enjoying it. I'm a huge Mario Kart fan, so I've been having a ton of fun with World and trying to unlock everything. My favorite is Koopa Troopa. His sailor outfit is so precious! It makes me want to make a koopasona...

Come October, so much new music had come out. Music is something that I feel almost a spiritual connection with. It's always resonated with me in a deeply emotional way. I love The Midnight, and their new album Syndicate came out. I really love The Right Way, Afterglow Pt. 2 and Summer's Ending Soon. "I want to start again, even if I'm on my knees..." These songs make me think of what I've been through and the pain I had to get through to be where I am now, but how it's all worth it. Their music can be a bit melancholic, but I love that. It makes me reminisce on times past and look forward to what's to come. I really liked this note from The Midnight:

"There is a Japanese term called mono no aware. It's the sad beauty of seeing time pass, and the aching awareness of impermanence. These are the days that we will return to one day only in memories."

It's a poignant reminder of the passage of time. It makes me want to hold onto every moment with my entire being. I've really been feeling that this year with how amazing everything has turned out to be... I finally have the love I deserve, I'm able to give the most amazing person the love he's always deserved in return, and I have this newfound freedom to be able to experience life to the fullest. I'm so incredibly grateful. It also makes me want to put that love back into the world and let those closest to me know how much they mean to me.

Thank you for indulging my emotional sidebar there. Anyways, October also saw the release of Pokémon Legends Z-A, which I have loved so far, and I even got a shiny Pikachu day 1 (I never get day 1 shinies, so it felt extra special)! In October we also carved some pumpkins, hung out with friends, and I went to my first ever burn (a burning man style event) and it was amazing! I made some new friends and volunteered, and it was such a cool environment of self expression and acceptance.
October ended with a fun local Halloween festival and parade, and a cozy Halloween night spent with my favorite people!

November started off with a bang with the fox and I attending Carolina Furfare with our friendos! This con, also known as CFF, was cancelled last year due to hurricane Helene, so it was a long awaited debut at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in North Carolina. I was on registration staff again for this convention, and it went swimmingly! The space was more than enough room for everyone, and there were some really fun panels like "Gotta Sketch 'em All" where we had to draw Pokémon from memory, and "Build a Furry" which my best friend Lilac hosted in which we had to create a character based on randomly selected prompts! Fursuiting in the parade was the highlight for me, and it always feels so special fursuiting together as a couple. November also ended with a bang, with Kal and I traveling out to Arizona for Thanksgiving! It was my first time ever visiting the state, and I absolutely loved it. The landscape was otherworldly, and I felt so welcomed by everyone that we spent Thanksgiving with. My heart is full of so much warmth and love. 🧡

December started with us getting the fireplace going and decorating the Christmas tree together for the first time while listening to 50s and 60s Christmas songs! We added a couple of new ornaments, and I really like the idea of collecting new ones together over the years to come. We're really feeling the joy of our first Christmas season together. ❤️ We will be traveling up north for a cozy and snowy Christmas spent with family this year, and I'm really looking forward to that, too!

To sum up this year, it started with my world being shaken up in a major way, and ended with me feeling stronger and more confident than ever. I experienced some major personal growth, and I ended up in the paws of a fox that's everything I ever dreamed of.

Next year, I want to continue to embrace being my truest self. I want to keep experiencing new things, keep creating art, and I want to keep pouring love into those who mean the most to me. I think things are only to continue going up from here.

Here's to an amazing 2026!