Twenty-Two

Here’s to 22. 

 

22, the year I fell in love— a love so deep, so true, so raw that I realized humans are never meant to do life alone. The year I broke hearts, the year I got my heart broken. 

22, the year I stepped out in boldness and decided to stop living in the shadow of fear. Faith instead of fear. A life guided by love. 

22, the year I looked deep within, and stared my darkest insecurities in the eyes. The year I shone light into the dark and dissolved the many obstacles encroaching on my growth. The year I learned exactly who Nicole Leung Albrecht is, and who she dreams to be.  

22 is the year I grew a backbone, the year I established boundaries, the year I stood up for myself and my beliefs. The year I was lost, but then remembered I am found. The year I confronted the ugly truth that I indeed have been playing the victim card for way too long. The year I chucked that card in the trash and never looked back.

22 is the year I realized life is too short to be living a mediocre existence. The year I learned you are the ultimate creator and dictator of your life, that anything, absolutely anything, is possible. 

22, the year when I crossed paths with people who I know will stay friends with me until the end. People who catalyzed my growth as a human being. 

22 is the year I grew— spiritually, emotionally, mentally, professionally. The year I took ownership of my innate creativity, the year of investing in me and my true passions. The year I found my voice— literally and figuratively— the year of speaking my truth. 

22 is the year I learned that life is too short to hold grudges, to let the past dictate your present, to live a life always questioning “what if…”. 

A year of relocating cities, switching careers, forging relationships, and igniting new passions— 22 marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, perhaps a kickoff to my adulthood. 

Pain, joy, struggle, love, elation, sadness, confusion, anger, bliss, security. I experienced it all. 

 

Thank you, 22. 

Hello, 23.