What This Year Asked of Me

As 2025 comes to a close, I keep coming back to the same word: alignment.

There’s relief in knowing that 2025 is behind us. This year asked a lot. And there’s also hope in feeling like I’m finally moving toward a way of living and working that actually fits who I am at my core. Not who I tried to be for a long time--from a place of desire and financial necessity--but just who I’ve always been underneath it all.

The last three months were hard. Really hard.

I traveled more than I wanted to, and honestly more than my body could handle. I spent a lot of time on the road trying to make things work in a year when the retail world has felt heavy and unpredictable. Being gone from my family was the hardest part. It never gets easier. It wears on your heart, and it takes a toll physically too. I don’t think I fully realized how much until I slowed down again over Christmas.

What surprised me is that I made it through this year. I did something a lot of people doubted I could do, and I did it in one of the toughest economies many of us have seen in a long time. I don’t say that with pride as much as I say it with honesty.

Creatively, I feel excited again. I’ve made a promise to myself that I won’t create anything that doesn’t feel aligned with where I’m going. That clarity feels grounding. I trust my instincts more now, not because I learned something new, but because I’ve come back to who I’ve always been.

Being gone so much over the last few months made it clear how much I crave presence. Time with the people I love, without feeling pulled in a hundred directions.

As I look toward 2026, what I hope to carry forward is simplicity and full alignment. I don’t want to rush anything that doesn’t feel rooted in who I am. I’m making space for rest, gently and without forcing it.

The sentence that keeps coming back to me is a simple one, but it feels like truth: I want to live a simple, peaceful, and joy-filled life.

Sending my love + blessings your way as 2026 awaits.