I know that the heart of Life is good... because the heart of life is Love and Love is God and God is Love.

Sorry I changed your lyrics up a bit, Mr. John Mayer. Where are you these days anyway? I guess the same can be said for me. I haven't blogged in a long, long time. But here it is, my first blog as a 25 year-old, despite being 25 for the past 10 months. And there it is...There is that constant reminder that I'm growing up and growing older every day, which contrary to what I once believed, is not such a bad thing after all.

Being 25 has taught me a lot about myself.

For one, I learned that I am a relatively practical person. While most girls around me are in a rush to the altar, I've turned my attention towards making strides in my career. Although I love my boyfriend and marriage will most likely happen in the future, I am not in a big hurry to get there. Financial stability has become a huge priority for me. I owe a lot of that to the fact that I have roughly $16,000 worth of undergraduate educational debt. I know this isn't too bad but this debt has changed the way I look at my expenses and my long-term goals. I am constantly checking on the progress of my 403b retirement plan (which, by the way, I am fully vested in), I am in the process of figuring out ways to fund my graduate school education without having to break the bank, and I find satisfaction in setting aside what's left of my paychecks into my savings account. My humble upbringing also played a role in me developing this mentality. My parents taught me that success comes through hard work and I've prepared myself to work hard and work smart in order to get where I need to be. Financial stability is one of the goals I must reach before I will personally feel ready to enter the next stage of my life as an adult. Fortunately, today I received news that I would be receiving a pretty hefty raise along with a promotion. Here's to financial stability! Thanks God!

Additionally, I learned that I am a sensitive introvert... although this had already been confirmed. At 25, I am still guilty of crying tears over someone who hurt my feelings by saying something mean. I can't help it! I am a crier! I think what upsets me even more is that I make the effort to choose my words wisely and with caution before I speak and I also take other people into consideration before saying something that could be interpreted as offensive. Unfortunately, other people don't always do the same. I know what you're thinking... duh, Anna! I could've told you that. But the non-confrontational people pleaser in me always chooses to give them the benefit of the doubt. This year, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to stand up for myself and to be okay with the fact that it is impossible to please everyone. There will always be someone who doesn't like me... and that's okay. I am human. I have the tendency to also get super exhausted when surrounded by a ton of people for long periods of time but that's a whole other story.

Anyway, I am getting sleepy now... part of the reason I have stopped blogging lol... I will continue this for another day. Hope all my readers are doing well :)