To Start at the Beginning

Where to start? 

Well, at the beginning.

What to say?

Well, what comes first. Speak from the heart and be your authentic self.

These are the thoughts that raced through my mind as I mulled over whether or not to start writing. Starting a blog is strange, and new, and different from anything I have ever done before. It is a bold move to put my thoughts out into the open because my thoughts are not just synapses jogging through my brain, but they are also currents that build and disperse as they flow through my soul. They are a part of what makes me who I am, the makeup of myself - the fibers of my being. So in short, I am putting a part of myself out in the world for people to rub against and either be pleasantly surprised or quickly abhorred by what they have just encountered. This bold and outward movement is an act of vulnerability, and vulnerability requires fearlessness and strength. 

I am fearless. I am strong. I can and will be vulnerable. 

So here I am. Or at least, a part of me. Here are my thoughts, my feelings, my ideas. Here is my voice. Here is my intuition. Here is my heart. I hope you like her. <3

She is fearless. She is strong. She is vulnerable. She is strange, new, and different.

Strange things about who I am: I'm homeschooled, Catholic, and the 6th of eight children. My nickname from childhood is "Fishy" and I periodically and compulsively like to clean and reorganize my surroundings. I have loved fashion and interior design since I was a small sprout, and color flows through my veins. I am an artist and a writer, and I have been those since I could hold a crayon. I am a baking enthusiast and a some-day-soon entrepreneur. I love vintage dresses, jean jackets, and lace. I dress my body as I strive to dress a canvas ~ with color, movement, and vibrancy. I love chunky leather, a lil' sparkle, and stripes are my bread and butter. I have never kissed a boy. I like to sing and I love to dance. I am proud of being strange. 

New things about me: I am a college student coming out of freshman year with friends from all over the country and two from Canada. I have been to Roma and would go back to stay in a heartbeat! I fell in love for the first time during the second semester of this past school year... It was painful and beautiful and I would not change a thing about it for the world. My sense of myself and how I am to be grounded in the world around me is new to me. The recently discovered depths of my heart and soul are new to me, along with a rockin' body image and healthy self-love. So much new, so much gratitude, so much joy. "Newness" is the season of life that I am currently luxuriating in.

Different things about me: My family and friends would be better at this part because I have terrible self-awareness (#awkwardiscute) but I have been told that I am a sweet and stunning gift to the people in my life and that this sets me apart from others. It is my goal in life to keep up this attitude of living-generously so that I can be an instrument of love in other peoples' lives. 

So there you have it - a fast and blurry shot of who I am. Perhaps not the most flattering, complete, nor detailed image of myself, but it serves as a first introduction and then I have always been more of an impressionist than a realist... Happy Living!

Love,

   Laney