New year, same me

Hi there! I’ve been a little MIA on here. Let’s get into it.

Since ringing in the new year I’ve been in a funk. I was originally taking a breather from sharing on social media because sometimes I feel this weird in-between of what I want to be and what everyone else expects me to be. I feel that when I share on social media I want to be my genuine self, but what happens when I’m not personally feeling that way? The pressure to show up as you are gets really heavy when you aren’t even sure of who that is in the moment. Who do we need to prove to that change is constant? If you are feeling good and enjoying your time, live in it for awhile. To keep up to everyone around us and have the energy to prove you are great to people is exhausting. You are great and the only one who needs to believe that is you.

I chose to take December off for the holidays and be as present as possible with my friends and family. My plan was to go to Vancouver for the foreseeable future in January and I wanted to make the most of my time with the people I might not see for awhile. As happy as I was when it came to spending time with friends and family, I felt lost with who I was with myself. In the back of my mind I was completely aware that time was so short with the people I love the most and every moment with them felt bittersweet. This time, moving felt different. It wasn’t a temporary move or a trip to the lake for the summer. I was committing to something permanent with no end date. As exciting as that was for me to open myself up to new possibilities and plant new roots, I was scared shitless to leave my old life behind.

It really sunk in when I said goodbye for awhile to my closest friends and family that there is no such thing as leaving your old life behind if you don’t want to. Change is difficult and terrifying, but also beautiful. If you know me, you know how important the relationships I hold dear to my heart impact my life. I made some of the best memories with my friends this past little while and as we get older our relationships only get stronger. Growing up these past few years, I always feared that high school relationships were temporary, or the people I met at the lake would just be seasonal friends.. The people that have stuck around put those fears to rest. The true friends you make will always be there when you need them. Distance doesn’t always have to feel distant, and although I am halfway across the country, I feel closer to my pals than ever before. I have friends that make me feel rich when I have $3 in my bank account. ( literally, $3. Tyrell and I were sharing gatorades.) There’s no pressure to be around them. There’s no secrets or hiding who we truly are and I never thought I’d be so lucky to have so many of those people in my circle. I’ve always heard people refer back to “quality over quantity” or “keep your circle small”… and for some people maybe that’s true, but do what works for you. I have 15 best friends and that’s what works for me and its taken me awhile to realize that you don’t need to pick and choose, or ever feel doubt when it comes to your own life. The people you surround yourself with are bits and pieces of you and I feel so proud to even carry a little trait of all those people with me wherever I go. The name of my blog is All Things Honest and I don’t think I could’ve created this place without the comfort, honesty and support of my friends and family.

After a month of car trouble, -45 weather, and a 17 hour travel day filled with avalanches and highway traffic jams, we have officially landed and moved all our stuff in to our Vancouver house. Another crazy coincidence is that our house lined up when it did and there just happened to be a room opening. Last year around this time I moved out to Vancouver temporarily and lived in the same house we just settled in to and it just happened to be that they were our type of people. The scary thing about room mates is they could be absolute weirdo’s, and mine are. In the very best way. I didn’t think I’d ever feel at home living in a house full of strangers but they made it feel like it was home from the start. I don’t know that this happens often with living arrangements so I like to call it fate that everything worked out the way it did.

I’ve had a hard time focusing on myself and figuring out what the plan is for me. What I've come to realize this past month is sometimes the best plan, is no plan. The pressure of being in your mid- twenties hits everyone the same I would like to believe. We can all relate to the feeling of questioning the path we are on and if it’s what makes sense for us. Comparison is a huge problem in today's society and as much as I hate to admit that, I think it’s just something we all have to accept. Accept the fact that people are going to compare you to themselves, to others, and that you are going to be your own worst critic. Once we can realize the harm it has on us we can also figure out ways to accept who we are and flourish in our environments. Ive been working on this and if you are struggling with similar feelings, keep in mind that you are learning and growing and this is all apart of the process. Figuring out who you are isn’t going to happen in a day, month, or year. Continue to thrive in the environments that make you feel good, surround yourself with the people who lift you up and encourage positive change. I wish I could take back all the time I’ve spent listening to negativity and judgement just trying to recreate myself to please those people, and trade it with the moments I adore now.

I've been slacking with the NY intentions, so here's my vision board inspo for 2022. I actually made this with my girlfriend's over FaceTime after a close contact COVID scare. 100% recommend doing this! ( without the covid scare, obviously)

I’ve meant to get around to sharing my new year resolutions with you all but I couldn’t help but think how toxic that can be. How unnatural is it that we all have to have goals January 1st?! WHO made that up because that is a terrible trend. Let’s normalize doing what feels right all of 2022 and continuing to figure this 'life' thing out, at our own pace, with no timeline. If you’ve made some resolutions, change them to intentions. No pressure. My intentions might happen this year or over the course of the next 5 years, because natural change doesn’t need to be rushed. I’ve recently struggled with my identity being an "over- sharer” when I don’t share every little detail. I love being honest and real with everyone but sometimes when you are so busy focusing on everyone else, you forget to worry about you. So that’s what I took the time off to do! With all the doubt, try to remember that the first time you do anything, it might just be terrible. Who cares. Now that I’ve started prioritizing myself again, I’m excited to be back in this space and come into it with a new perspective.

I thought I’d give a short update, and I am so excited to share more projects with you guys. Thanks for supporting me and sticking through the messy.

Cheers,

Hunty