Happy New Year! I know this is my first journal post here on FA. This year has been fraught with a lot of trial and error. Learning to live for myself and explore my own passions.

I've learned a lot about myself and finally accepted a lot more of my wants and desires. Much of my life has been focused too much on being what was safe, and couldn't be judged. Being what others wanted me to be. It's not really a great way to live and it cause me a great deal of strife and suffering.

I made the resolution at the beginning of 2024 to get my mental health handled. I moved out a year prior for a new job, which was tough. My support system was limited, my new job was rough, and I started being able to explore myself more and more. However, the anxiety with work, the stresses from visiting family, and the various events in my childhood continued to over take me and make it difficult to do menial tasks. Luckily, I had a fantastic coworker and a few friends online who counseled me to go and finally go to therapy... take care of myself. I had thought about it before, but never committed. Times needed to change.

Boy was it well worth it. There were certainly times where I felt worse than I was before starting the journey, but looking back, this year has been one of the most eventful and enjoyable years I've had in recent memory. Sure, there was and still is the daily struggle of taking care of myself and my needs. Yet, I've been able to keep pushing myself to growing beyond my limits and accepting myself for who I am.

I've found drive to doodle, make music, work in blender, work in unity, cook more, bake more. I've accepted being a Furry, gotten a Sona. I've accepted that I wasn't really straight at all, that I like... well... all kinds of people of varying identities. I've truly learned more in 1 year than I was able to find in the last 27 of my life.

So, here's to a New Year, a New Me, and Many More Years of Happiness.

I hope you have a good New Year yourself. Regardless of how last year was, please remember, you matter, you can grow. Your past is in the past, who you are today can be worked on, you can find a happy future for you.

Ever your friendly Nova,
Sierra