2021 brought me so many new beginnings. I wanted to reflect on the year that saw my triumphs and hardships and share my story with you. Throughout it all, I want to thank my friends, Jillian and Elaina, my parents, Starr and Anthony, my brother, Joel-Anthony, and my wonderful boyfriend, Shayne, for their unwavering support for me during one of the most transformative years of my life.
January
The new year brought hope. With a vaccine for Covid-19 on the horizon, I was eager to return to social gatherings and normalcy that I had known pre-pandemic. Also with the transition of a new presidential administration, I had such an intense sense of relief that I did not know was possible. I pursued new hobbies and started planning for a little project that I would launch in February (delightfullysarah.com!).
February
February is normally a difficult month for me. My youngest brother passed away the day after Valentine’s in 2007, and remembering the anniversary of his passing usually proves to be a difficult thing for me to cope with. This year, however, I felt at peace and was able to celebrate the life of my late brother. The launch of my blog gave me a creative outlet to focus my time and energy on. I had a lot of fun creating content and the frequent Target trips.
March
I had some struggles with my mental health during the month of March. I sunk into an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, and really leaned on my boyfriend, friends, and family for support. And after a solo road trip, I started to appreciate my life and began to come out of my funk.
April
During the month of April, things started to take a positive turn. I visited my friend at her university, and we had a very memorable time at the IHOP near her school. It was an experience that I will NEVER forget. As the weather crept towards a more tolerable temperature, I really started to thrive. My dad and I began renovating the garage-turned-apartment so I can thrive in my own space.
May
May was a spectacular month. My boyfriend and I were finally fully vaccinated, and after 14 month of being apart, we were able to see each other. We stayed in New York City and went on many socially distanced adventures. I celebrated my 22nd birthday and moved into my apartment downstairs. My best friend and I took a road trip and went to the American Dream Mall in New Jersey and had a wonderful time!
June
I honestly don’t remember anything significant happening in June, which isn’t a bad thing.
July
In July, my job underwent some changes; some good, some not so good. I did my best to adjust to the new changes. I baked a cake from scratch for my mom’s birthday (which we LOVED). The renovation of my apartment was complete, and my boyfriend came and visited me.
August
August was a difficult month for me. There was some tension at my job that caused my mental health to suffer. With the support of my family and my boyfriend, I ultimately requested to transfer to a new location. In hindsight, I wish I transferred out of the toxic environment sooner because I am much happier now. At the end of August, my dad told me that he wanted to pay off the tuition that I owed to my previous college so I could continue my education (after nearly a four year gap). I was so excited that things were starting to turn around for me.
September
Out with the old, and in with the new! My last day at my old job was September 5th, a day that could not come soon enough. I started my new job on September 13th and felt like the new kid in a new school. I was anxious about fitting in and being respected as a supervisor. As I started to adjust, I realized that I had nothing to worry about. Pretty much everyone at the new location was very welcoming and respectful. This location was much easier to manage and my mental health started to improve. By the end of the month, I was back to my old self again.
Excited to continue my education, I applied to nursing school this month and started to prepare for the ATI TEAS Exam. I also started my Youtube channel!
October
When I look back at October, I remember two things: studying and filming. This was a big month for creating content for my growing YouTube channel. I was studying for my TEAS exam, and filmed videos about the TEAS for other students who were probably feeling as lost as I felt. I published an ATI TEAS study series — and was surprised that people were actually watching my videos! I scored in the 96th percentile on the test, which I count as one of my greatest accomplishments this year.
November
The eleventh month brought me a lot of joy. My YouTube channel hit 100 subscribers, which was a big milestone for me. When I started my channel, I did not anticipate people actually watching the videos I uploaded. It felt really good to grow a community of people like me! I may have been guilty of putting up the Christmas decorations a *bit* too early (the tree went up on November 4th) but hey, the most wonderful time of the year only comes around once a year! I cooked the side dishes and desserts for Thanksgiving (mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, sweet potato casserole, and cheesecake — all from scratch) and enjoyed being with my family. Thanksgiving dinner was definitely a highlight of the year for me.
December
The last month of the year flew by. I worked nonstop and before I knew it, Christmas came and went. Despite being in the holiday spirit for almost 2 months, this felt like the least christmasy Christmas yet. As the year came to a close, I began to reflect on my life over the past year. When I look back on 2021, I think I came out as a stronger person than when I entered.
So much has happened this year and it’s honestly been one of the most transformative years of my life. My word for 2021 was growth, which was very fitting.
2021 brought A LOT of personal struggles, but thanks to the support of my boyfriend, family, and friends, I was able to get through it. I even made some new friends along the way at my new job and I am so thankful for everyone that I’ve met!!
I hope that 2022 will bring some peace; I feel like we all need it after a tumultuous 2 years. As this year comes to a close, I want to thank literally everyone I’ve come into contact with, in one way or another each and every single one of you have either been a blessing or a lesson (the ones who’ve been a lesson are NOT following me because I blocked them so if you’re reading this you’re a blessing lol)
One of my resolutions for the new year is to not take anything or anyone for granted, so my word for 2022 will be appreciation. If you’re still reading I wish you positive vibes, good health, and a happy new year ✨