I can’t believe that it has been over a year since I relaunched my blog, and it has been quite the year. At this point last year, I was in the middle of a pandemic-induced mental health crisis, and save for this blog, was largely off social media. I was also struggling with my weight and my diet. At one point last year, I stepped on the scale and nearly freaked out when I came close to going over 230lbs. Some of my earlier posts were me simply venting my frustration.

After finally hitting rock bottom, my turn around began with a doctor’s appointment in mid-October that resulted in me going back on medication to treat autism related symptoms. I followed that up by getting my back checked out, and subsequently starting treatment to correct an inproper curve of my spine. As time progressed, I managed to complete the virtual My Pelotonia in mid-November, followed up by running my first 5K race (albeit a virtual one) by Christmas. This blog helped me document my journey to wellness. By the end of January 2021, I was well on my way towards achieving my goals.

While I was working on getting my life in order, other problems in my life began to swirl, namely the health problems that my grandmother is facing. As of now, she is back in the hospital after long term breathing problems, and will face another stint once she get her hip replaced. Last year, I would have had a major freakout, and probably would have lost everything in the process. Earlier this year, I downloaded and subscribed to the Calm app, and took a 30 day crash course on the art of meditation. Focusing on my mindfulness has helped me navigate this turbulent time, and has also helped me maintain control over my autism.

Sadly, I have had to sacrifice some of my goals and my plans for this year as a result of having to deal with my families medical problems. I had to stay home from my second job as an arena usher in April, and had to postpone some medical appointments along the way, so I could take care of my grandmother. There are countless times I had to put off writing content for this blog, or had to postpone work on my other side project, Cunningham Creative. Other times, I had to stay home (or not far from home) on days that I wanted to get a training ride in, or some other form of exercise.

A lot has changed for me since I have started this blog, and for the most part, those changes have been positive. I realize that I still have a lot of work ahead to ensure that I can become the person that I know that I can be. All I have to say as I conclude this post, is to thank everyone who has visited this site, and have taken the time to read the content that I have posted. It has been an incredible ride to this point, and I have plenty of stories left to tell.