In 2019 I was diagnosed with very early stages of an auto-immune disease. This discovery changed my life, it threw everything I’d thought of as a certainty or an option for my future into question. Reading books during that time, allowing myself to escape my reality, helped. It helped a lot. Looking back, I realize how incredibly lucky I am. Lucky to have caught this so early, to receive one of the best treatments available and to work with some of the best doctors that are on the cutting edge of research for this disease.
I started 2020 and, like most people, hoped it would be a fresh start. While making a list of goals for the year, I remembered one I made a long time ago: to write a book before I turned thirty. I threw it on the list thinking, it’s probably not one I’ll complete, but hey something to work towards. I have always enjoyed writing stories, but never completed a full manuscript.
The pandemic has devastated so many peoples plans for 2020. This year was going to be a big year, but I could feel everything I planned slipping through my fingers. It has been a crazy, difficult, and overwhelming time for all of us. Reading helped me escape to a place where there was no pandemic and no insane politics.
After being stuck indoors for the first few months, I needed to shift my perspective on the pandemic. How was I going to turn this pandemic into an opportunity, rather than an obstacle? I thought back on the goals I’d made myself and realized I was meant to do this one. Write a book. So I set a writing schedule, watched hours of videos and read tons of blogs. All to help improve my writing process. I wrote more and more and more until… I was done! It’s such a rush just writing the first draft of a novel and I know I have the daunting step of editing and reviewing next, but I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this journey with all of you. I took a leap this year, realizing I could accomplish dreams I never thought I’d get the chance to. I hope this inspires you to accomplish your wildest dreams, regardless of the obstacles that you face.