30 Things I Would Tell My 20 Year Old Self

In honor of turning thirty this week, I decided to craft a list of thirty things I would tell my twenty year old self. 

I’ve been reflecting on this past decade and on turning 30 for quite some time now. In truth, I’ve been brainstorming & creating this list for a good part of the last six months. To me, it is a beautiful summary of lessons learned, memories made, and bits & pieces of the woman I've become over the last decade. I am so proud of who I am and how far I've come over the past ten years, and I think my twenty year old self would be too. 

Baby G - it will be more beautiful than you could ever imagine. Xx. 

A Note on Passions

What are your passions?

It's a question that I've often been intimidated by. One that I have never felt quite confident enough to answer. Upon hearing the question, my answers slowly simmer inside - I know them, they are there - but there's a doubt keeps me quiet. A tiny voice that says, but they aren't quite big enough, or important enough, or good enough.

I was asked recently what my passions are, but was saved from answering by a swift change in the course of conversation. But it's a moment I've kept coming back to in the days following. 

A Note on Seasons

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately & reflecting on this idea that nothing is permanent. A very broad claim, but one that can be applied to a multitude of situations and components of life. Specifically, I've been musing over this idea that the seasons of life are ever changing, and with their shifts, we morph and change too. 

Using the Past to Practice Gratitude for the Present

As I sipped my coffee this am, I read HWM’s piece about the gratitude prompt “remember when you wanted what you have now?” She walks us through her thoughts on the notion and has a beautiful way of explaining & properly articulating the feelings that I think many of us have. I’m not going to delve into my thoughts on it more because she does such a fantastic job doing so, and also because I think the prompt itself is very self explanatory. I will however, encourage you all to subscribe to the (free!) weekly newsletter for more thought-provoking & inspiring conversations! 

2023 To-Do List

Just typing out 2023 relaxes my shoulders and allows me to breath a sigh of relief. 2022 was a lot for me on a personal level, from start to finish really. There were beautiful moments of joy of course, but there was this overwhelming heaviness & at times paralyzing sadness. There was a lot of grief & mourning for a season of my life that unexpectedly & suddenly ended, without an ounce of warning or explanation. A big chapter closed & it took with it one of my most valued and important relationships. To say it was heartbreaking, would be the understatement of the century. 

A Note on Nostalgia

Using nostalgia as a reminder to enjoy exactly where you are right now.

A Farewell to 2021

I have spent the past 30 days, the entirety of the month, trying to reflect upon the last year. At the end of one year and the start of another, I usually have something to say about the year gone by. At the dawn of this new year, I was at a loss for words when I looked back to 2021. 

I'm Running a Marathon!

I'm running a marathon!! 

After many years of waiting, I can't believe I finally get to say that I am doing it! And not just any marathon, but the 50th New York City Marathon. I get to run through the streets of the city I call home, that I love more than anything else, and I get to do it with friends and family on the sidelines. It is truly going to be so special. I'm so excited it is finally happening, I think I could shout it from the rooftops! 

If you know me well, or if you've been following along here on Faith & Fancy for a while, then you know that this has been a huge bucket list item for me for many years now. I ran my first 13.1 back in 2014, and many more half marathons were run in the years that followed. Although I can't pinpoint exactly when I decided I wanted to go for the full 26.2, it was at some-point between the years of 2014 and 2016. On June 2, 2016 I published this post - 101 in 1001 - a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in 1001 days. Running a marathon was on the top of the list. 

"I'm So Glad I... "

So many times over the last twelve months, I’ve found myself saying, “I’m so glad I did this .. " and “thank God I did that”.

I've always tried my best to pack life to the brim and to live with a zest for life. The past days, weeks, and months have been nothing short of the biggest reminder of our lives to always keep doing just that.

A note on being in love with your life

There is so much emphasis placed on love. Romantic love in particular. I'm not saying it's a bad thing by any means - romantic love is a beautiful, wonderful thing. It's a lot of beautiful, wonderful things actually. But you know what romantic love isn't?

It isn't everything.

A To-Do List for 2021

I don't do resolutions, but come the new year I do make a list of things I want to accomplish. A to-do list of sorts! Resolutions seem so lofty and unattainable, but a to-do list keeps me on track and contains things that can actually be crossed off. It's what I've been doing for the past few years now, and it's what works for me!

Favorite Things of Twenty Twenty

Last year was the first year I did a 'Favorite Things' of the year post and it was truthfully one of my favorites!! I've decided to make it a year end tradition, as it is such a fun and light way to look back on the year. These posts will without a doubt be blast to read back as the years go on!

Twenty twenty may not have been my favorite year, but it still contained lot of things I loved. Enjoy!

A Farewell to 2020

Since the birth of Faith & Fancy, come the end of every year, I craft a post looking back and reflecting on the past twelve months. It has become a year end tradition I cherish quite a lot and one that I look forward to. I love everything these farewells represent - gratitude, reflection, closure - and they are collectively some of my favorite posts. Having this collection of paragraphs, sentences, and words that represent years gone by is so special - each year it is a gift I am giving my future self, and that future self will forever be grateful for them. 

With that being said, as we started approaching the end of twenty twenty, I felt paralyzed & overwhelmed thinking back on all that this year threw at us. I felt like I had a million things to say, but at the same time I felt so depleted that I just didn't know if the words would ever come.

All the Things Twenty Twenty Taught Me

Twenty twenty has been a lot of things, but as I reflect back, teacher feels like the most appropriate title. The past twelve months have taught me more about myself, this world, and all the people in it than any other year to date. Maybe even more than a lot of years combined. 

It is often the hardest years that have the most to offer us in terms of personal growth & learning. Twenty twenty takes the cake here. I know I am not the only one who has grown & evolved as a person. To be honest, I think we have collectively grown as humanity. I can't help but think that all this year taught us, has changed us for the better. This gives me immense hope. 

I of course cannot speak for all of humanity, but I can speak for myself. So without further ado, here are some of the biggest lessons from this past year. 

A Photo Worth a Thousand Words

So many times in the last ten months I've gone back to this picture. 

At first, it was because the moment in which this picture was taken was the last "normal" memory I have from this year. I went back to it time and time again to try to remember what normal was. To try to remember what life was like before. To try to evoke happier memories. I remember being so happy when this photo was taken. That smile is pure joy, pure happiness. There is no stress, no heaviness, no anxiety. This photo represented normalcy. I kept going back to it because I was desperately nostalgic for life before covid.

New York or Nowhere

Back in March at the beginning of quarantine, my mom asked me if the Covid situation changed my thoughts on living in New York. I immediately shot back, "No. Absolutely not."

Four months later & that answer remains the same, even stronger now than then. Covid never for a second made me question my decision to live in a big city - the big city nonetheless. If anything it has only confirmed my absolute love and adoration for this place. A place that no matter what gets thrown it’s way, fights back and comes back stronger than ever.

Black Lives Matter

Oh what a week. A month. A year.

No one is going to deny the heaviness that has been strongly felt since what feels like the start of the year, but has increased ten fold over the last two weeks.

This past week has been heavy to say the very least. Heavy for everyone. And if you personally have not felt this to some degree, I beg you to open your eyes, and your ears, and to face the sad reality of what is and what has always gripped this nation.

This past week has been nothing short of the biggest wake up call for me personally.

The fact of the matter is that, it is not enough to be kind. To be a good person. To not be racist. Just being those things is not enough. It has never been enough. And it makes me sick to my stomach to realize it has taken me almost twenty seven years to figure that out.

What the past week has opened my eyes to is the fact that you, and I, and all of us collectively as Americans need to go above and beyond to actively work towards change in this nation.

This looks like a lot of different things, because there are a lot of different things we need to do to enact change and keep pushing progress forward. To start, it means opening up your eyes and ears. Opening your eyes & not being blind to the injustice and inequality that plagues this country. Opening your ears & listening to people of color share their lived experiences and stories. And when you are ready, opening your mouth. Opening your mouth to join the conversation and the dialogue. But more importantly opening your mouth to call out injustices and racism when you see it. It will never be comfortable to do so, but it is necessary.

And while you are opening your eyes, and your ears, and your mouth, keep doing more! If it is in your means to do so, donate. Educate yourself. Read and watch - do whatever it takes for you to keep learning. Register to vote & then get out there and do it. Share on social media. Expand the diversity of those you follow. If peacefully protesting is your thing, then do that. Just do something. Keep the conversation going. Keep doing the work. The fact of the matter is change just doesn't happen overnight and it is our responsibility to keep doing what needs to be done, so there is no other choice but for change to happen.

And you don't have to do it all. I think it would be foolish to say that each and every one of us had to do every thing just mentioned. I think it's even fair to say that would be a little inauthentic. We all have important roles to play in this and they are not all going to look the same - that is okay. It is okay as long as we are each being true to ourselves and doing something that pushes this movement forward. It's okay as long as we are making a conscious effort to learn new things and to unlearn the implicit biases. It's okay as long as we are trying. It might not always be perfect, but it's our efforts that matter. 

My thoughts and emotions have been running wild over the last couple weeks, and I've been overwhelmed with feelings of wanting to help. Of wanting to do something. These words are a start for me. Putting my thoughts on paper and writing is one of the best ways I know to express and articulate what I am thinking and feeling. It is one of my powers. If the words in this post can influence even just one person to have a change of heart, or to do something then it is a good first step in the right direction.

But, I promise it doesn't stop here at the end of all these words.

To all people of color, moving forward I promise to open my eyes, to open my ears, and to open my mouth for you. I promise to be your ally. I promise to never claim to know what you've been through because I don't. But I promise to always stand with you and to fight for you. To fight for what is right.

To anyone and everyone reading this, I hope you'll join me.

 xo. G

Things that Spark Joy: Week No. 1

Although I always find this important, I am realizing more now than every how crucial it is for us to take note of all the things - both big and small - that are bringing us joy.  Appreciating these little sparks of joy in my daily routine has filled me with hope, happiness, and has served as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there are glimmers of light.

What I Learned in 2019

At the end of every year I find it so important to look back & reflect on what this year has given us, how we have grown on a personal level, and what we have learned in the past 365 days. The lessons might be small or they might be mighty & life changing, but regardless of their magnitude, anything learned is helping to shape us into the best and truest version of ourselves.

This year was a good year. One of the best to be honest. But with that being said, it was still full of little lessons (little, albeit important). If I looked around there were many things to be learned this year, and as always for that I am thankful.

Without further ado, here is what 2019 taught me. I hope it inspires you to reflect on your past year & discover how you've grown in the past three hundred & sixty five days.

Favorites Things of Twenty Nineteen

If you've been following the blog since the beginning, then it comes as no surprise to you that I love New Years. There's something so bittersweet & beautiful about saying goodbye to the past 365 lived days, while simultaneously welcoming the promise of 365 fresh new days. I love to look back, reminisce, and reflect (which I have & will share - stay tuned!), but this post is a little lighter and a little more fun!

I thought, why not look back on the year & play favorites a little bit! The idea started simply by me noticing things that have truly been my go-to's throughout the course of the year, and then it sparked this idea of thinking about all the things that brought me joy this year. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite things - both tangible & intangible - from twenty nineteen!