To the Next Chapter: A Birthday Letter to Me

Dear Kaleigh,

Happy birthday. Wow… 36. 

Before you step into this next year, pause for a second. Look at everything that’s happened. Look at everything you did this past year.

This time last year, you were just stepping out of a nine-year relationship, staring at the pieces of a life you weren’t sure how to put back together. You didn’t know if San Diego was still home but also didn’t know what the next move should be. You felt lost, unsettled, and painfully aware of the fact that you were starting over at 35, an age you once imagined would look very different.

But look at you now. You survived. Dare I say… you thrived.

You found yourself again. You found happiness. You found strength you forgot you had.

For years, you tried to live for someone else. You tried to hide sadness behind a curated smile, convincing yourself that if you could control the narrative, it would all be okay. You isolated yourself, not because you didn’t have anyone, but because you didn’t want to admit the truth to them because that meant you had to admit it to yourself, and that felt like failure.

So, you shrank.You stayed quiet.You put your own desires on pause.

But this year? You chose you.

You chose honesty, with yourself and the people who love you.

You chose to put yourself out there, and in doing so, found a whole new group of friends in San Diego who made you question if leaving was the right choice at the time.

You chose to be brave and give London another chance.

You chose to be open to new people, new chemistry, new little bursts of romance that reminded you your heart still works, still wants, still hopes. And yes, even if those moments were brief, they let you feel like the main character in your own romcom.

34 may have broken you, but 35 rebuilt you.

This version of you knows she can do hard things.

This version of you feels at peace in her day-to-day life.

This version knows that even when she falls, she’ll get back up.

I know there is a lot you still want in life but look at how lucky you are with what you have. 

A family who supports your wild dreams and never lets you forget how loved you are. Friends who have sat with you in the hard moments, celebrated the good ones and are your biggest cheerleaders. A job that let you move across the world, and coworkers who have become the closest of friends. And you’re actually living out your dream of living in London… and loving it!

So, as you step into this next year, I hope you continue choosing yourself. Be brave. Be bold. Be hopeful. Love with your whole heart. Stay open to people, to possibilities, and to the plot twists you don’t see coming.

I can’t wait to see what 36 brings you.

x