A Hopeful Wanderer

Dear friends,

I've had one hell of a year. As I sit on my bed on my first day of holidays, with my laptop on my legs, I can't help but to feel like I've changed a lot.

I started this blog, a year ago, in an attempt to document the adventure that was entering college. It was a way to find myself (no pun intended) through writing and sharing details of my life with anyone who was willing to read them.

Even though I ended up not writing as much as I initially intended to, it was a really enriching experience and it helped me figure some things out. For example: I love to write. I love to read other people's blogs and build this invisible connection with them. I grew an immense love for photography.

I love STORIES. I am a story-listener and a story-teller. I build connections based on stories. I may not let people know how much I care about their stories (introvert problems), but I do. I love to write my own stories, and photograph the stories I witness.

There's another thing. I feel like I'm changing seasons. This year was an immense autumn - a season of transition, which just so happens to be my favourite. I lost and found friends, I created new interests, I grew into a completely different person than I was last year. It hurts a lot sometimes that I don't recognize my life anymore. There are days when I wish I could go back and pick my "old" life from where this new one started. There are tears, and heartbreak, and yelling and punching stuff.

Today, I'm glad I changed, because now I feel like I can be myself, no matter what.

After a lot of thought, I decided to re-start my blogging adventure. I have more of a vision now - I want to tell stories, hoping that somewhere, someone will relate to them and let them fill them up with hope. I want to be a hopeful wanderer who finds beauty in the dusty corners of people and the world.

So, if you wish to continue to follow the stories of this 19-year-old mess, you can find me at a-hopeful-wanderer.blogspot.com!

Lots of love,
Mariana