What a year it has been... I knew, going in, it would hold plenty, but never would I have imagined it would be this much.

In the span of twelve months - I turned 30, celebrated my third anniversary as a freelance travel writer, clocked in a promotion at my day job, fielded several enticing job offers, and eventually decided on one just several weeks ago. In the midst of the hustle and bustle from juggling two wholly consuming yet incredibly rewarding careers, I also racked up some 30,000 miles of travel, which included fulfilling a dream ten years in the making - by way of a solo trip to Morocco and across the Sahara.

2019 has been a year of grateful gains, but also one of painful losses. It was 12 months of resolute strength and absolute courage. It was 365 days of daily decisions to love and care, hope and dream, stand and soar. Safe to say, it has been a whirlwind of adventures and challenges.

Reflecting, journaling, and writing has always been a form of liturgy for me; a way to make peace, practice gratitude, and plan ahead. Here are some of the lessons gleaned from the year that was:

• Change. Or, stay the same.

It is one or the other. You can’t have both. I hope you have the courage to change - to live the life you have always dreamed of, to live the life you are proud of. Adventure is a currency we can all trade in, so long as we are willing to get uncomfortable every now and again.

• Creativity is contagious. 

In a world dominated by distrust and disconnect, creativity matters now, more than ever. Choose the right environment to be in. Surround yourself with the right people. Create new work daily, even if it will never see the light of day. Most importantly, create for you. It could save you, and in that, change the world.

• Everything is urgent. Not everything is important.

There were days when my eyes were fixed and my fingers glued to my MacBook, up to 30 minutes before take-off. There were days when I went to bed at 3:00am and woke up less than three hours later to catch a flight, zipping to the office the second I landed. Everyone wants something right now, precisely at this moment. Learning to distinguish what is important and what is not has been one of the most pivotal lessons. It is the difference between being busy and having purpose.

• Experiences are hard-earned.

Never despise them. Never belittle their value. Never stop craving for them. Adversities will strengthen your base. Challenges will test your foundation. Don’t shun it, embrace it. They define a person and add depth to one’s character. Over and again, people whom I have met with interesting stories and meaningful careers never had a linear path. Which stands as a reminder to us all - if things are ever easy, then they are not worth having in the very first place.

• Not everyone has the same heart as you.

Thirty years on, I am still learning this, most of the time (unfortunately) through hard lessons.

Like you, there is still much I yearn for. Like you, I am also in a season of waiting. Like you, I do not know how much longer I have to wait for my miracle.

The meantime, the in-between, the if-it-ever-will... The restlessness and the anxiousness... How I know them, all too well. Just remember, in all of it, you are not alone. As one door closes, another will open. And just maybe, when it does, everything else will make sense.

Here's to a new decade of fulfilled dreams, large-than-life adventures, and extraordinary joy. Happy New Year!