Wow. August came up on me quick and I was just not prepared. I was so overwhelmed that I almost forgot that this month marks my 1 year anniversary with my blog! I want to thank all of you for supporting me through it all.

During my (rare) breaks I am trying to slow down and appreciate how far I have come to get here. I encourage you to stop and think about how you have grown this year as I share some of the things that have changed for me this past year. I am not going to go into detail about how I learned these lessons because they are personal, but I wanted to share my list because I think it is important to acknowledge that even during a really difficult year, a lot of good things can come from it.

What I learned from last August to now:

Being away from my family is hard. I didn’t realize how blessed I was to have the strong relationships I did.

Meeting new people is hard, but so rewarding.

I am tough and underestimated how much weight I can withstand.

My creativity is such a great outlet for me and the possibilities are endless.

You can be best friends with someone the exact opposite of you.

As silly as it sounds, I thought that I lived a normal suburban life that most of society lived. Going to college out of state allowed me to realize how different everyone’s backgrounds were.

I learned how to really care for others at their lowest, and received support at mine too. I felt understanding like I never had before.

I learned so much about love; platonic and romantic, in my relationships and in peers relationships.

I learned know how to take care of myself in general, but also when it comes to my anxiety and depression. I found the help I needed.

I developed a new appreciation for stores, bowling, movie theaters, restaurants and Friday nights out with friends.

I now know that University of South Carolina is the place that I am meant to be.

People are good. I know this after watching the community come together during these hard times.

I am so lucky to be healthy.

Dogs can affect your family positively much more than you could have imagined. (Coming from a girl who has never been a dog person)

Be thankful everyday for the people in your life.

Things are not going to work out the way you want them to. What matters is what you do with that.

Good friends come out of the middle of nowhere and are there for you when you need them.

I gained so much respect for myself, saw my worth, and knew the treatment that I deserved.

I grew tremendously with my career and academic goals.

I was able to vulnerable, share my story and accept myself.

I look at everything through a whole new light.

How have you grown in the past year?

If you can relate to my list, or have something totally different that you want to share please comment! Or if you know me and want to reach out personally I would love that too.

I am so grateful for all I have learned this year and how I have grown as a blogger. I have come a long way from where I started and feel really proud of it’s current product but also know that I want it to continue to improve. I am sorry I haven’t written a blog post in forever, moving back into college has been chaotic. If you want to stay connected, be sure to follow my instagram @sincerelymeghanann for more frequent updates!