Recently, I told my mom that I miss me. I miss who I used to be over a year ago. I miss walking on trails, having time to myself, reading good books, writing down my thoughts, eat healthier, and a good night sleep. At the time, I blamed it on my relationship. But, something I have realized in the past few weeks is that it is not because of my relationship, it is because of my job. And, I have let my job reflect on my relationships. Yes, plural.

I want to be me again. I want to get back on the trails with my dog (did so last week), have time to myself (right now), read good books (need to choose one from the stack), write down my thoughts (here I am), eat healthier (going shopping later), and get a good night sleep (that will come).

I wanted to be someone, and I thought that climbing the career ladder is what it would take to prove myself. What I proved is that I can work 10 to 12 hours a day, wake up at 4am stressed thinking about work, answer messages at all hours of the night, weekend, and vacation. I also proved that I can be so exhausted and not have time to culture friendships because all I thought about was work.

Today, I choose me. I choose to be loyal to myself and find me again. I want to see happiness on my face and share those moments with those I love.