Well, it’s that time of year again. We are rapidly approaching the holiday season – in fact, I think it’s safe to say we are right in the midst of it. Christmas is only 6 days away!! The next two weeks are likely to be a blur of festivities and celebration – at least that is the hope.

It’s been more challenging than usual for me to get into the holiday spirit. Since celebrating my birthday a month ago, I’ve been laying low and focusing on work in my new home of Kelowna. Having lived here for four months now, I am continuing to adjust and fall more in love with my place everyday. I am very fortunate to have a place where I feel comfortable and safe. Though living alone has presented some challenging moments, especially with recent mental health concerns that have come up in the past couple of months, I still find myself enjoying it most of the time. I even got the chance to decorate a little bit for the holidays, and have been spending lots of time staying home and resting, as the days continue to get darker. I’m trying to evoke some holiday fun as much as I can! Cue the hot chocolate and marshmallows. 🙂

However, I will be returning home for the holidays – and I’m really excited to do so. I’ve been off work for a few days already and I am enjoying some festivities in Kelowna before heading further south to spend more time with the rest of my family. I’ll be there for about a week and am hoping to head back up to Kelowna to ring in the new year and celebrate 2022. Isn’t it crazy to believe that we are already entering another new year? It has gone by so quickly – so much has happened, it’s been challenging to process it all. With that said, I will be enjoying lots of time off in the hopes of resting and continuing to process everything before we head into the new year. We’ll be taking a break from chiaragoesglobal too and joining you again in 2022.

I am truly looking forward to taking a break – it is definitely needed this year. The holidays can be a stressful time for many people, and over the past few years, I have found this time of year to be increasingly difficult. I doubt this year will be any exception; however, I am grateful to have the chance to celebrate with my family more this year than we did last year. In an attempt to keep the holidays as stress-free as possible, I am hoping to focus more on the little things. Spending time with family, baking (and eating it), enjoying some winter activities, and simply relaxing are my hopes for this break. I really want to take it nice and slow, and enjoy it while it lasts. I hope you have the chance to rest and rejuvenate as well.

To ring in the new year, I will be celebrating with friends. The past year has definitely been a bumpy ride full of many ups and downs. It may be with mixed emotions that I say goodbye to 2021, but I’m hoping that 2022 will bring more healing and happiness, for all of us. Wishing you happy holidays and a wonderful new year. All my love! <3