Wow.
I can’t believe that 7 months have passed since I last wrote a blog post. An apology doesn’t even cut it because it’s been THAT long. Recently, thanks to emails and comments from my long time readers, I have rediscovered my love for blogging. Blogging was my first social media passion and it definitely got pushed aside as I ventured further into YouTube and Instagram because I found myself having less and less time for writing.
Anyway, let’s cut the crap and jump right into an update on what’s happened over the past 9 months so that I can get right back into posting content.
The Job
In January, after 4 rounds of online and in-person interviews, I officially started my new job as a remote Social Media Marketing and Digital Media Strategist for a large sports promotion company. This is my very first “big girl” marketing job and I am so fortunate to be working for a company that I 100% believe in and a sport that I truly enjoy watching. For privacy reasons, I’m going to keep the name of the company to myself, but I will say that no matter where you live in the world, you have definitely heard of the sport and company that I promote, and have most likely seen an online, television, or print advertisement that I’ve worked on! Also, I’m aware that it’s ironic that I have a career in social media marketing, yet I have been failing at keeping my own social media platforms up to date. Sometimes a girl just has to put her career first before her hobbies…
The Breakup
Early on in the year, I ended my relationship with my boyfriend of 7 years. He and I started dating when I turned 16 and we broke up because we recently realized that we wanted different things later on in life. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to a man who was one of my best friends for the past 7 years, but we both came to the realization that we weren’t the best fit for one another. I grew tremendously throughout our relationship and I’m very thankful for the good memories that I shared with him AND the fact that it ended amicably.
The Move
Soon after the breakup, I moved! I’m a big believer in needing to be in a new environment to have a fresh start, so I moved into an apartment in downtown Vancouver right by the water. Even though it’s been 6.5 months since I moved in, I’m still in the process of making my space my home. Home décor blog posts will be written and posted as soon as I figure it all out.
The Graduation
In May I graduated from the marketing program that I was in and it was such a relief to tick another thing off of my to-do list. I’m not saying goodbye to school for good yet because I’m heading back this Thursday to start a new program, but I’m proud of myself for accomplishing yet another academic achievement!
The Boyfriend
How many of you remember the name “BFF Matt” on my Instagram account? BFF Matt was the nickname that I gave my best friend Matt on IG a few years ago and it stuck (so well that I actually called him that in real life for a little while). BFF Matt has been in over 300 of my IG pictures over the past few years and now, he’s BF Matt. Yes, he did the impossible and moved from being in the best friend friend-zone for 5+ years to being my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for a few months and our best friend-ship has strengthened, which I never thought could be possible. I’ve never been happier in a relationship.
The Half Marathon
Three (four?) years ago I said that I would never, ever, EVER run another half marathon, but I did this past June. Oops! I decided pretty last minute to run the 21 km race, and I did it with only 1 month of training, which I’m NOT proud about (more on that in another post), in the scorching heat. 2 weekends ago I ran a 10 km race, which went VERY well (again, I didn’t train for it, but I got my Personal Best Time for a 10 km race), and I’m running a 10 km race in 5 days, a 10 km race in 1 month, and another half marathon in November. I’m still doing strength training at the gym, but as of right now, I’m also focusing on building my endurance back up.
The Depression
Recently, I was diagnosed with depression. I’m already clinically diagnosed with anxiety and OCD, so being diagnosed with depression is like being kicked while I’m already down. Every day I wake up feeling like a gloomy rain cloud and I don’t know why. I have 0 motivation to get out of bed every morning and it’s been hard to get myself to do my work and go to the gym. Even though I’ve been seeing my family doctor and trained professionals regularly, I’m on medication, and my family and close friends are very supportive, I just can’t seem to shake the gloom.So what have I been doing, aside from seeking professional help and taking medication, to cope with depression? Well, I’ve been going on long walks with Matt at night, which helps me de-stress and calm down, I’ve implemented a new daily routine that seems to be working out so far, and I started the 100 Happy Days challenge. My coworker introduced me to the 100 Happy Days challenge (http://100happydays.com) and it piqued my interest right away. For 100 vlog videos on my YouTube channel, I’m going to try and find 1 thing that makes me happy and document it. It could be something as small as going for a walk, or something as big as going to a football game or celebrating a birthday.I wanted to share my struggle with depression on social media because I use my platforms to document my ups and downs. My life is not always rainbows and butterflies, and although it scares me to share something so personal on here, it’s something that I want to do because I know that there are people somewhere out there who know exactly how I’ve been/I am feeling for the past few months.
Well, there you have it. That’s what I’ve been up to over the past 9 months. 2016 has been a wild ride filled with many ups and downs, but I’m confident that if I take it one day at a time, I’m going to be just fine. I’m happy to back to blogging and excited to share my life via written form again.
Thank you all for your continuous support on all of my social media platforms. Without your encouragement and love, I would never have found the passion to resurrect my blog.
Keep smiling,
Kels
