An Overdue Life Update
Wow. It’s already January 3rd. I’ve been in Montenegro for almost five months now. I feel like I’ve changed so much as a person, but I also feel a bit stuck. I want to keep writing more and continue planning for my future, but everything is overwhelming to me. However, the beginning of a new year brings with it a clean slate–a place for me to write down new goals and strive to attain them.
I had a decent list of goals I set in January 2025: run a marathon, move to a new country, get the Fulbright scholarship, start a blog, and finish reading the entire bible. I achieved all of those except finishing the bible, which is at the top of my list for 2026. Looking back, I am very proud of myself for all that I accomplished. However, this blog has consistently been a sore point for me. If I don’t post about my travels in a timely manner, will I forget them? Should I be writing about my experiences or making travel guides? Furthermore, I have struggled to even format this site in the way I imagined–I am not very tech savvy. But let’s say I start posting consistently on the blog…what if it doesn’t gain an audience? Do I need to be posting on TikTok, Instagram, and/or Substack? These thoughts overwhelm and prevent me from even starting. It’s a crazy cycle.
Ending 2025, I was full of guilt, even while feeling proud of myself. Since the marathon, my running routine has been basically nonexistent. I don’t know where to start with finding a job for next year. I haven’t been reading enough. I stopped reading the bible daily, my screentime has been insane, December was an expensive month, and I haven’t been talking to my friends back in America enough. I luckily have enough of a break right now to get my thoughts cleared up and make a plan.
I am a big believer in fresh starts. This doesn’t only apply to January 1st. This includes the first of the month, Mondays, each morning, anything. This month, I have a new list of “goals” for myself. The most important goal for myself, I think, is to be dedicated to this blog. At the very least, it will be a document of my time abroad and my travels. If anyone needs inspiration, my others include PBing on my half marathon in April, logging 150 runs in 2026, saving $3,000, taking 12 intentional mini-trips or day trips, getting a new job abroad, and having one monthly reset each month (deep cleaning, budgeting, journaling, etc.). This will require me to put my phone on DND a lot more than I do now and to schedule my time out very specifically.
Before I skip ahead to 2026 and leave 2025 behind, I do want to mention all that I’ve experienced since I last wrote in September. I spent three days in Durmitor National Park where I hiked to the top of Bobotov Kuk. I went to Lake Skadar, did a boat tour, and went to an amazing winery. I traveled to Sarajevo and took a day trip to Mostar. A friend from Bar (a city on the coast) took me to sightsee over Boka Bay and then to Lovćen National Park. I ran my FIRST marathon and loved it! I traveled to Kolašin with a friend over Njegošev Dan (a national holiday) and had a beautiful weekend painting, playing cards, and relaxing. To finish November, I celebrated my birthday and Thanksgiving without family for the first time in my life, but with new friends and unique memories.
In December, I had the opportunity to attend a Fulbright Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, where I met many English Teaching Assistants placed in other European countries. I was able to exchange teaching ideas and methods while also hearing about their experiences abroad. Just last week, I took a crazy, last-minute, solo trip to Romania, and I got to visit three different cities, two castles, and try tons of yummy food. I finished 2025 in Kotor’s old town, eating palačinke while fireworks exploded overhead. Lastly, I spent January 1st sitting on the beach, drinking hot chocolate, and reading a book. I feel so blessed for the year I had and all of the friends and family who have been there for me throughout the entire year (and many years before 2025).
I have high expectations for myself in 2026, but I intend to give myself grace for any bumps in the road that may arise along the way. There is only so much I can control in life, but I must take accountability for what I can control. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon with another post.
