I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M FEELING '22

(let it be known that I was planning on using 22 as my theme song for this year before it became popular on TikTok)

Well, hey. Looks like I've been gone for a while. Since LAST YEAR, even. *insert everyone rolling their eyes at the predictable New Year's joke*

I never planned to be this sporadic at posting. I'm pretty sure I haven't posted regularly since I started college, which sometimes was necessary and sometimes was just the product of me being out of the habit of posting and forgetting about it until it was time to post. 

I'm not going to pretend that my blogging schedule is going to be perfect in 2022. I'm sure it won't. xD BUT I do hope to get somewhat more regular with posting. I miss blogging, and I miss talking to you guys!! Most of my Internet time is spent on Instagram now, and while I love that community, there's just something more personal and intimate about this place, my own little corner where we can chat and fangirl and all the good stuff. 

ANYWAY. I don't really have a roadmap for this post, so who knows where it'll go from here. xD Since I haven't posted a monthly review or any kind of life update in quite a while, I'll share a brief overview of some highlights from 2021... then a few things I'm looking forward to in 2022. 

2021 MOMENTS

- Valentine's Day snow (aka the most snow we've gotten in years that lasted more than a day)

- Entering the Realm Awards and finding out The Hero of Parker City was a finalist

- Going to Realm Makers, meeting some of my favorite authors and writer friends, and having the best time of my life

- Meeting Jason Narvy from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Erin Cahill from Power Rangers Time Force, and Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers from Leave it to Beaver

­- Having my fifth Havok story published 

- Listening to the 10 minute version of All Too Well at eleven o'clock at night and thinking about how surreal it was to finally be hearing the whole thing

- Winning my fourth NaNoWriMo (and participating in my seventh)

- Spending Thanksgiving with my whole family after being separated last year because half of us had COVID (and being able to taste the food xD)

- Going to two Christmas concerts- the Collingsworth Family and the Ball Brothers (both amazing)

- And so many more. 2021 was a good year.

I mean, obviously it wasn't perfect. There were frustrations and tears. I doubted myself and my writing at times. But overall? The good moments were so good. The words I wrote meant so much to me. The time I spent with people was so precious.

And it makes me look forward to LIVING more in 2022. 

So, now some things I'm looking forward to this year. 

2022 MOMENTS... TO COME

- Finishing the first draft of Look for the Flares. (It simply didn't happen in 2021 and I'm okay with that.)

- Hopefully finishing the first draft of Twice Upon as well. 

- A new Havok story coming out sometime in February! 

- Realm Makers!! (I HOPE to be there in person, though it's not set in stone- but I'll definitely be there virtually no matter what!)

- Finishing college! (I'll graduate with my associates' degree in the fall! I don't plan on going any further right now so I'll be DONE! *much confetti*)

- New books from Nadine Brandes and Sara Ella!! 

- Another year, another NaNoWriMo xD

- Spending more time pursuing God and His purpose and love for me.

- And... I don't know what else. That's what I'm looking forward to- finding out. 

I'm excited for this year. I'm excited to see where God takes me, where He takes my writing, and what moments I'll be able to look back on. I'm excited to breathe deeper, work harder, and rest better. I'm excited to get new ideas and make new goals. 

I'm currently taking a break from Instagram, and it's honestly been so nice. I'll hop on from time to time for cover reveals and the like, but I wanted to clear my head of noise and distractions this first month of the year so I can focus on other things. Like LIVING. Making goals. And most importantly, seeking God. 

I've never really chosen a word for the new year. But the past few months, something has been going through my head that I haven't been able to forget. Two words, actually. And they're so powerful that I decided to make them my 2022 words. 

RECKLESS SURRENDER. 

On a small scale, that means abandoning any Bible-reading charts and plans and just reading and studying where I think God wants me to at the moment. (I can never keep up with those charts, anyway.) On a larger scale- who knows? I'm not sure what it means for me yet. But I think it's the best way I can live not only this year, but my whole life. Recklessly surrendering everything to God and trusting Him to work it out. Because He loves me wildly and he has a purpose for me. 

It sounds risky, but that's the point. Reckless surrender to God is the safest place you can be. 

I wish all you wonderful people the HAPPIEST of new years! I'm excited for what's to come this year, whatever that may be. Thank you all so much for coming along on this journey with me- even when posts are random and few and far between- and here's to 2022!!