Growing Up

Last weekend I went home to Massachusetts to visit my parents, pick up the girls bridesmaids dresses, and celebrate my best friends parents surprise anniversary party. My parents were having a yard sale with a few other neighbors on Saturday and mom had pull out all mine and my brothers belongings that they've been storing since god knows when. I didn't have too much. I naturally love to clean, organize, and declutter so I rarely keep things I don't intend on loving forever. I am also extremely sentimental so I may not have all my old soccer balls, games, clothes, etc. but I had 2 boxes filled with journals, artwork, love notes from old boyfriends, movie & concert stubs, every birthday card I've ever gotten from family and friends. Some may call that crazy...which is true, I guess, but I am so glad I'm sentimental and kept all those things. 

 I had such a good time reading through old journal entries, revisiting my awkward middle school years (I "loved" a new boy every day apparently) and remembering old hopes and dream for my future self. Some things made me tear up; like notes from my grandma who passed away a few years ago, some journals during a time in my life when I was incredibly lost, and just general nostalgia. It made me think about how far I have come and also how far I still have to go. I was such a dreamer, then a follower, then completely lost, and then found myself somehow again. Life is a pretty weird, cruel, confusing, beautiful, amazing thing and I am so grateful that I wrote so many thoughts, experiences, and memories down. the good, the bad, the horrible, the perfect. I will cherish them forever (I seriously contemplated burning my middle school diaries though!)

Although, I still write in journals it sparked my interest to write in them more than just once a week - to not feel like I have to have a particularly great story in mind, but to write anything, everything down. for the joy of it; so years and years from now I can reread them and look back on my twenties the way I look back at my teens. And maybe someday my children or grandchildren will read them and see the real unedited me. 

I'm so used to pen & paper that it's been a struggle to remember to post on this blog. One of the main reasons I started this blog though was to document my life and share that with friends, family, and the blogging community. I'd love it if someday I could look back on this little blog and feel the same as I do about my journals. What are ways that you document your life? 

Happy Weekend! xoxo