I thought a lot about this post, this year. I made it a bit of a tradition on the blog now and for the past couple of years, to talk about some things that have happened in the year that’s gone by on October 15th.
Oh, yeah. It’s my birthday today, by the way.
A lot of things change in a year and, as we grow up and grow older -maybe a little bit wiser, at least I’d like to believe that, there’s a lot of things we want to hold on to and a lot of things we need to learn to let go of, too.
It’s been a complicated year, I’m not going to lie. A lot of things have once again changed in the past year. I’ve learned a lot, I’ve changed a lot, both in a good and, I know, a bad way. I accomplished things, some little things I hope I can find myself proud of.
It’s been a year of getting pushed down and getting back up again, facing rejections and challenges, broken dreams and shaping up new ones, facing my own self as well and trying to stand up as tall as I can despite everything. I’ve been questioning myself a lot, too, about this blog, about a lot of things. It’s been a rollercoaster, but that’s life, right?
Anyway. I’m here today because I wanted to write my traditional birthday blog post. It’s a bit different from my usual bookish posts and very personal, but I hope you’ll enjoy it anyway!
27 things I did in my 27th year
- Visited Reims, France.
- Ended a chapter at my first full time grown-up job (and cried).
- Drove across country for the first time.
- Started on a brand new page, on a new job, 563 km from home.
- Got rejected from Pitch Wars.
- Lived outside of my comfort zone for a while.
- Celebrated 6 years of blogging. (Year 7, coming in November. WHAT)
- Started writing a new first draft of a book.
- Moved in our first house with my partner.
- Battled tough depression times and anxiety spirals in the midst of a pandemic.
- Got rejected from Author Mentor Match.
- Rewatched old TV shows I love.
- Finished writing the first draft of a book.
- Missed home. A lot.
- Got feedback from an author I admire and felt like my writing was worth something (hopefully).
- Went back home after over 5 months away. Never again.
- Spent a weekend in Strasbourg, France with my sister.
- Felt hopeless and worthless about my work on this blog.
- Had lunch with my former colleagues. I miss them.
- Started the second draft of another book.
- Learned how to drive on roads that scared me.
- Quit my job.
- Went on a little road trip holidays with my two favorite people on earth.
- Started a new job.
- Spent a weekend in Paris with my sister.
- Went on top of the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
- Forgot about October 1st for the first time, as well.
- Survived.
Goals for the upcoming year
Last year, I wanted to practice self-care, to make writing a priority in my life and just, to be overall kinder to myself. I’m not going to say I accomplished that because, to be honest, I didn’t.
I managed to make some progress with my writing, to take some steps I wouldn’t dared take a year ago, that’s for sure, even if I didn’t make AS much progress as I would have liked.
I didn’t take care of myself or my mental health as much as I should have, that I know.
This year, I want to do better. I want to learn, to grow and to be more patient with myself, too. I especially want to:
- I want to be more positive. I’m always seeing the glass half-empty for myself and half-full for everyone else… maybe it can be half-full for me, too, sometimes.
- I want to make writing a priority. Again. It’s been a tough year when it comes to writing, with being rejected to both Pitch Wars and Author Mentor Match. With that in mind, it’s been really hard to write. Especially lately, but I still want to keep on going, because I love it. I have some goals that might be unrealistic, some dreams I want to reach for that might feel a bit, out there, but… they’re here and I don’t want to give up on them.
If those two are my main goals, here are are couple of personal, blogging, writing goals I hope to accomplish this year:
- Travel, as much as I can. There’s so much I want to explore and it’s been so tough lately, but I am craving it and hoping for more.
- Write another full draft of a book.
- Stop doomscrolling on social media so much and compare what’s not comparable, at all.
- Strangely, maybe put myself out there a little more on social media, too. I have a mixed relationship with it all and I don’t know. Maybe I want to try. And just, put myself out there in general and try.
- Grow my blog.
- Take care of my mental health.
That’s already a bit ambitious, but well… that’s what birthdays are for? Happy birthday to me, I guess!
In case you want to support my work and spoil me for my birthday, first of all, I will cry out of gratefulness. I have a ko-fi as well as a wishlist. Thank you all for reading my posts and being here, it means so, so, so very much. Thank you! 🥺😭
When is your birthday? Do you like making lists of resolutions for your birthday?
What do you think of this kind of personal post? Would you like to read more of these from me? I’d love to know, so please feel free to let me know in comments!
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Happy Birthday!
Thank you so much! 🙂
You’re welcome!
Wishing you a Happy Birthay here as well, Marie! 🍰 I’m sorry to hear the past year has been full of challenges, I hope there are better things to come! It looks like you did accomplish a lot of great things despite also having some rough times ❤ I appreciate you and your blog so much and wish you all the best with your writing and other goals! 💕
Caro thank you so, so much, you’re the sweetest <3 <3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎉
Thank you!! 🙂
Happy birthday!!! I love how you listed the things you did for 27! I also need to get more positive; I’ve gotten better but there’s always room to grow 💛 I hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Thank you so, so much, Jenna! I hope we both can learn to see the glass half full a little more! <3
Happy birthday Marie!! <3 I really enjoyed reading this would love to see more posts like it, I wish you the very best for achieving your goals in the next year and hope you had a great day.
Oh thank you, Cas, so happy you enjoy this kind of personal post. Thank you!! <3 <3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE!!!! 💞😊🎉
I hope you have the best day ever!
I loved reading this! There’s something so special about looking back on the past year and to see another year. I started doing this type of post on my blog because of you, which I will be doing next month (I’ll be 28 too!!). I hope you get to travel and write more in the next year, I believe in you! ❤️
Ahh thank you so, so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed this kind of post and so excited to read yours soon!! <3
You’re welcome!! ❤️❤️
Happy birthday! Mine was yesterday. 🙂
Ahh happy belated birthday!! 🙂
Happy birthday!!
Thank you so much!!
You’re very welcome!!
ahh, happy happy birthday marie!!! i hope you had a wonderful day yesterday 💓💓💓 i’m so glad that even though there were some bad moments in your 27th year, there were still some good ones as well. i believe in you and your writing so much, even if your journey is a bit slow, and i hope you have another amazing year!!! your friendship and support has meant so much 💓💓
Thank you so, so much, May, this means so much to me and I love you so much, thank you <3 <3
Happy birthday, Marie! It’s been an eventful year for you, full of travels and ups and downs…Thank you for sharing with us and I hope this next year will be a calmer year for you! <3
Thank you so, so much, let’s hope so! <3
Happy birthday Marie, I hope you had a wonderful day!! 🎉❤️ I loved reading this list. Firstly all the places you visited sound wonderful and hope you had some great times away. It seems like you did a lot in your 27th year and took risks both in your personal and writing life, which I really admire. I think I can stay in my comfort zone and play it safe too much. I’m sorry it has been a complicated year but I wish you all the best for your next year with all good things because you deserve it!! Thank you for sharing this list 💖💖
Sophie thank you so, so much!! <3 I appreciate all of your kind words so much <3
I tend to use my birthday to celebrate how far I’ve come and to anticipate the next year. It tends to be a very happy affair for me. So it was really interesting to see this post and see how focused you were on both the good and the bad.
It honestly seems like it was a very tough year for you from this snapshot of a summary. And full of changes as well, which is always difficult to adjust to. My hope for this coming year is that when you reflect on everything when you turn 29, only the good will jump out at you. I just want the good to always overshadow the bad for you, and for you to see the progress you’ve made in areas that you may not have even set as goals, but that were challenging nonetheless.
The happiest of belated birthdays! (And expect a book in the mail once I get around to ordering one!)
I think it’s so great that you have such a positive view of it all! I like to recap it all, both good and bad, but… yeah, this shows that I really need to try and be more positive, too 🙂
Thank you so, so much Malka, this means so much! <3 this is one of my goals, yes, that next time I reflect like that, I'm able to see more positives, too :) Thank you so much!!
Happy birthday! Thanks for sharing this, I really like this type of more personal post and I would definitely read more of them. I could have written parts of this, it resonated with me a lot and what I’ve been going through in the past year. For example getting a new job! And having no clue what to do with my blog(s) and struggling with social media. I also have a craving to travel but I’m not really able to, It helps to know I’m not alone and others are going through similar things. I’m turning 30 in just over a month which is terrifying as I feel behind on many of the things I wanted to have achieved by now. I usually do resolutions at New Year but I like the idea of doing them for my birthday, seems more personal. I might steal that idea! (Sorry for the essay!)
Thank you so, so much, so happy you enjoy these posts! <3 It's funny how similar our experiences have been lately, it makes me feel better knowing I am not alone. <3 I hope that this year will be full of lovely things and wish you all the best for your birthday (when is it?)! And please don't apologize, I love essays! :)
Happy birthday again! <3
I love these types of personal posts, while I love books and reading about them, a personal post brings the blogger so much closer and it's easier to connect to and understand the person behind the blog, apart from their taste in books.
I also don't make any lists with resolutions since I don't tend to keep to them anyways. As soon as I make something into an actual plan, I suddenly don't want to do that thing anymore, goes for plans with friends or a set tbr or literally anything else 😀 I always admire when people try and stick with their resolutions 🙂
Thank you again SO much, Kat! <3 <3 I'm so happy to hear you enjoy these kind of posts, maybe I should try and write them a bit more often!
I get that, I always admire people keeping up with their resolutions, too. I typically don't do a lot, but well.. for the occasion, I wanted to try! Let's hope I can stick with these :)
First off, happy birthday! And I just want to encourage you to continue writing – I know how hard it can be to write while rejections come rolling in (I have experienced this firsthand), but I always try to remind myself that plenty of successful authors started out with rejection and made it out on the other side. So keep going and try your very hardest to see that glass as half full!!
I think we all feel a little (or a lot) hopeless and worthless sometimes. If it helps, I love your blog and reading yours and Nyx’s posts. They always bring me a lot of joy. Here’s hoping the next 12 months is better, and I hope you had an amazing birthday 💕
Thank you so, SO much Meghan! <3
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! I hope you had a wonderful birthday celebration. I know last year was full of highs and lows, but you should be so proud of all you accomplished, and for the overall fact that you survived and are here! I’m wishing that 28 treats you better xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Thank you so much Melina!! <3
Happy birthday, Marie! <3 I hope you have an amazing day and a gentle year ahead!
Thank you so, so much Mary! <3
Happy birthday, Marie! Best wishes for an amazing year!
Thank you so, so much, Angela! 🙂
Gosh it’s been an eventful year for you – full of ups and downs. I hope the next 12 months sees more of the ups and less of the downs for you.
Thank you so, so much! <3
I would swear I’d already commented on this post, but I don’t see it, so forgive me if I’m repeating myself. 🙂 I just want to tell you to keep writing, no matter what. I know firsthand how discouraging it can be to get turned down for things like Pitch Wars or to have queries rejected, etc. It can be tempting to give up and assume you’re not good enough. But so many published authors have stories of how their perseverence paid off – sometimes it’s the third or fourth book you write that sells. I know, personally, Ive been tempted to give up, but sometimes you just need that bit of encouragement to keep going!
Thank you so, so, so much Nicole. Your comment made me feel a little more hopeful, thank you for that. I know it’s a tough journey and definitely a marathon, but sometimes, especially when you’re getting the rejections, it hits you hard. Thank you for the encouragement, it means so much <3
I know I already said it, but happy birthday again! I hope you had fun when you celebrated it and I adored this post. I just feel so proud of all you’ve done and I hope you’re able to look back and also feel proud too 💜 Those aesthetics for your WIP’s though?! They look amazing and I hope one day they get to meet the world hehe, rejection sucks but I try to view rejection and redirection where possible. Even though in the moment it’s hard to see the positives in something that feels so heavy and negative.
My birthday is in a few weeks hehe, 1st nov and I’ll be 21 which honestly, feels like some sort of dream. I do enjoy making a reflection sort of post sometimes for my birthday or posts about what I’ve learned etc. It just depends on if I can think of anything haha. Anyhoo I loved this post, keep writing the posts that make you excited Marie and keep writing in general because your stories are amazing I’m sure of it! 💜 sending you much love and hugs! (also that macaroon looks yummy and I’ve always wanted to try one, one day I’ll try a macaroon hehe)
Thank you so, so much for your sweet words, Clo, you’re the best <3 Your birthday is so soon now, YAY! I hope you'll decide to write a blog post reflecting on everything for that time, as well, I always find it good and feel better after writing it ahah :) Thank you so much!! <3
Happy belated birthday, Marie!! I hope you had a wonderful day!
It was lovely to read your post regarding the past year, and how much you’ve grown (through the good and less good). I’m so incredibly proud of you for making it another year! And of course, I wish you all the good there is in the world for the upcoming year. You’ll see that you’ll accomplish everything you desire, and so much more <3
I find myself organizing lists of goals in the beginning of each year, not on on my birthday (which is in early March), but then I'm terrible at keeping up with them and checking up on how I'm doing. That's something I need to get better at. That and also seeing the cup half-full for myself, too. You're not alone, but we can make it 😀
Thank you so, so much Marta! I hope we both can make it!! <3
So, I am literally months behind on blog hopping (and that isn’t even an exaggeration, ugh). I am SO sorry I missed your birthday!! I am wishing you all of the joy in the world. I wish this year to be full of happiness, of opportunity; of good books and long writing sessions, of self love and confidence. I am rooting for you so hard and I truly cherish you, Marie. <3
Oh it’s okay Nicole, you’re so sweet thank you so, so much! <3 <3 And happy belated birthday to you too! <3
Thank you, Marie!! <3