Chapter Seventy-Two: When Will My Life Begin? (Reprise)

Today is special.

A year ago today, I started something I never knew I would even try to finish. A year ago today, I started something that I didn't know I would pour my heart into, day after day. A year ago today, I began a new path that continues to be paved. A year ago today, I began my story. 

I've always loved writing. You can ask my parents. It started with my love of books, which was instilled at a very young age. I will never forget all the trips my mother and I made to the local library, and the fun that came with picking out a book (or maybe two, or three). I loved stories, and as my head was filled with stories, my imagination exploded. I, like any child, used my toys as a vessel of my imaginative stories. My plastic animals came to life day after day as I funneled my creativity, my stories, into them. 

But I wanted more.

Most children use journals to talk about real life, but I used journals to write books. My stories. I wrote about people in far-off places, and beautiful elves who commonly had spats with trolls, and dark tales of vampires and werewolves. I would find myself using booklights to not only read books, but to write them. 

Time passed, and soon I was composing on Microsoft Word. I was either proud of my work and would show it to my friends, or stash it away so only my eyes could see. However, I always had a problem with my writing. I never finished a story. Not one. 

Years passed and my imagination didn't flow out of my fingertips as easily as before. It was harder to open up old Word Documents, and even harder to start new ones. I simply lost interest and well-valued time. My desk that was littered with poorly drawn sketches and messy notebook pages was replaced with math homework and required readings. Time for creativity and imagination rapidly ceased, and before I knew it, I wasn't writing at all. 

I tried again every once and a while. I created multiple websites for fun, but they were eventually lost or forgotten. I even tried to write books again, but I still had commitment issues with my stories. 

Things changed my senior year of high school. I was entering a new stage in life that I wasn't quite prepared for, but so ready to experience. That's when I realized that I knew how to channel my talent and passion into something useful. I wanted something that a simple, occasional Facebook status couldn't do. I wanted to keep family members updated on what I was doing. I wanted to provide advice for the future seniors who would soon be going through similar experiences. I wanted to write. I wanted to share my stories. 

On May 4, 2014, I decided to take another chance. Like all the others before, this one could have easily fallen to pieces. But I decided that day that I wanted to commit to something and never let go. 

So, I wrote the first chapter to my story. Chapter One: When Will My Life Begin? 

It brings me to tears to read the first chapter of my blog again. I never knew I would love it so much, let alone many others who take the time to read my small paragraphs and life as a freshman in college. I didn't know at that time that I would meet such lovely people, make such wonderful memories, and have such an amazing experience. I didn't know at that time how much I would be homesick, how many tears I would shed, or how many times I would have doubted myself. Most of all, I didn't know how many times I would fall flat on my face...but I also didn't know how many times I would pick myself up (probably after a peptalk from my Mom), brush myself off (probably from my roommates' lint roller), take a deep breath (probably after ranting to my best friends), thank God (probably after a phone call with my boyfriend), and keep going. 

"This is when my life begins!" -Rapunzel, Tangled, "When Will My Life Begin? (Reprise 2)"

A year ago today, in my blog post, I compared myself to my favorite Disney Princess in my favorite movie. In the beginning, she is yearning to leave her tower and explore the world, despite her fears and trepidations. Being on the verge of graduation and starting college, I couldn't have connected with a Disney Princess more! However, here I am, in my "reprise" and loving every minute of it. Sure, there are struggles. Sure, there are hardships. However, in all honesty, these obstacles only make me a stronger person in the long run. 

So, here I am, telling my story...chapter by chapter. I think I like writing this way so much more simply because I don't have an ending yet...and that's okay! This is my (mis)adventure, and I can't wait to see what this next year of blogging holds for me. Who knows what will happen?

Thank you for being by my side for an entire year. I cannot thank you enough for simply reading my words...it truly means the world.