Yesterday I turned 24, and it was nothing like I imagined the day to be. I didn’t get to publish this blog post I had worked on the day prior, nor could I even look at my phone screen to get on social media at all. I was miserably sick, in urgent care. I took the day off to go to the beach and relax, and that (definitely) did not happen.

Moral of the story? Life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to. Sometimes your body forces you to rest. Forgive yourself.

ANYWAY, I wanted to write a blog where I talked about all my goals for this upcoming year of my life- then I was like, but wait, what about all of the damn accomplishments this year?!

I have this flaw- it’s called striving and never arriving. I always am too busy trying to do more, be more, make more, rinse & repeat that I sometimes (usually) forget to look at what I have created, how far I’ve come, and how amazing that feels.

This last year of my life has been a hell of a ride guys. LIKE A HELLLLLLL OF A RIDE. It has been full of adventure, surprises, anxiety, and everything in-between. (It’s been a little too full of surprises in my personal opinion).

On this years wild ride I quit my 9-5 job in the corporate world, launched an online business, went to my first mastermind, moved from Louisville, Kentucky to Raleigh, North Carolina, and created the life I’ve always wanted for myself. I got a swanky downtown apartment that is full of plants, wall art, and records.

I traveled to Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, California, Georgia, and a few other states on the East Coast. I nurtured old friendships and created new ones. I moved closer to my family. I started dating the man of my dreams who says “yes” to every one of my crazy adventure ideas, no matter how ridiculous.

I paid an arm and a leg for taxes, my business became an LLC, I built over 25 websites, I fully embraced being a #girlboss that works from home (and tried my very hardest to at least change into new yoga pants every morning.)

I went from doing work just to pay rent to doing work that truly fills me up, with my dream clients. I got off all anxiety medicine and felt like I learned who I really was at the core- a feeling I never thought I’d feel. I became so self-aware of who I am, what I love, who I want to be, and what I want to do.

I started working with clients who literally feel like my best friends (I mean we literally voice message and facetime constantly) and doing work that doesn’t even feel like work.

Seeing another year is a privilege and dang I am so blessed. I told myself this year would be the best year of my life and it didn’t disappoint. It was the year of reinvention.

I turned my life around from being 22, miserable in a relationship, confined to a dusty cubicle in a mediocre job with all white walls, $10,000 in credit card debt, unfulfilled, into the person I am today.

I am happy. I am free. And I am so worth celebrating today, and everyday. And so are you.

So instead of setting a goal list for this next precious year I’m getting the opportunity to live, I just want to make a promise to myself: I want to promise to celebrate more, be more present with the people I love, worry a little less about things I can’t control, continue to love myself and all of my flaws, and continue to live. I want to live hard, fiercely, apologetically and boldly. Because life’s meant to live, y’all.

With ALLLLLLL OF THE LOVE and good feels, coming from a cozy unmade bed in the East Coast,

Karima. xo