This was my first birthday in New York. No safety net. No five-year plan. Just a very full heart, a gut feeling, and the hope that putting good energy into the world might just bring the right things back. This summer is already teaching me what it means to really take a leap — not just the romantic, “movie montage” version. The scary, lonely, emotionally exhausting version that asks you to bet on yourself when the outcome is still unclear. But here’s the thing: staying stuck felt scarier. I didn’t move to NYC because I had it all figured out. I moved because I didn’t. And I was ready to find out what would happen if I finally chose me. So if you’re in a season of fear or doubt — if you’re thinking about starting over or chasing something that feels too big to say out loud — this is your sign: do it anyway. Dreams aren’t meant to be easy. If they were, they wouldn’t be yours. Here’s to new places, new people, and new parts of yourself you didn’t know existed. And here’s to the version ...