29

It feels like such a cliché, but I’ll write it anyway: this year has gone by quicker than I ever could have imagined. I remember my 28th birthday just like it was yesterday. So much and nothing has really happened since… At least that’s how it feels. But of course it’s far from the truth when I start thinking about memories from this past year and how much I truly feel like I’ve grown on the inside during this strange, strange time. Even though it might have been the most uneventful year in recent time on so many levels, with lockdowns, travel restrictions and less work than ever before, it has also been a year in which I feel that I’ve truly grown a lot internally. I guess I’ve had time to reflect a lot, spend more time with no-one but myself and enjoy those little moments and things in everyday life. I don’t want to say that I ever took those things for granted because I’ve always noticed when the sun is shining in the morning, the little bird sitting on the fountain and stopped in my tracks to capture the light shining through the leaves of a tree. But I’ve had to keep busy while doing nothing and it hasn’t really been something I’ve had time for in the past. It’s the reason I started reading. Also to calm anxiety and thoughts. It’s the reason I started spending time on doing self-portraits at home and it’s the reason I think I’ve even had a little “reset” in what I choose to share and capture.

Maybe it hasn’t been the easiest year. That’s for sure. More heartbreak than butterflies and more anxiety and loneliness than I knew I could handle. And at the same time I’m so grateful for the journey I’ve done on the inside during this time. Since November last year. When everything was so different yet so similar. I’m more grateful than ever before for the fact that I have my health. My family. My beautiful friends. A roof over my head and food in my fridge. And the rest… Well, I have no idea where this life will take me. And what will happen before the big three-zero next year… But… I’m optimistic and hopeful. And more than anything, I’m grateful for the peace I’ve found within myself and during certain moments, despite all the unknown we’ve all been put through during the last couple of months.