Turning the Page

After a whole year since my last blog post (in which I ironically wrote about how I had revived myself and returned to the writing world), I find myself seeking the comfort of my identity as a writer once more.

This year was eventful and full of a freedom I've never experienced before! It was complicated, a line up of hurdle after hurdle, sprinkled with accomplishments and achievements along the way. While it was difficult, I wouldn't change any of it.

I graduated with my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which was such an incredible yet trying experience, full of ups and downs and every emotion in between. This program was one of the most difficult things I have pursued in my life. Not only was my schedule crazy busy from balancing classes, internship, and work--not to mention my roles as a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a cat mom, and a friend--but it was emotionally exhausting. I discovered so much about myself, some amazing feelings and some leftovers from previous trauma. I found new ways to navigate my world, learned new skills, and realized how much I truly find value in the human experience.

After finally graduating this past May from the intense 2-year program, I made one of the scariest yet most rewarding decisions to move from my home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the town in which I was raised, the town that held most of my memories, all the way to Eugene, Oregon. It was a difficult decision, and I did not make it lightly. But I knew I had to do it. I knew I needed a change of pace, a change of scenery, a real page-turner into the next chapter of my life. So I convinced my boyfriend to uproot our life to follow 16-year-old Nichelle's dream and explore magic of the Pacific Northwest, and specifically Oregon.

We've been in Oregon for a little over 2 months now, and boy, has this experience been impactful and empowering! We have been able to discover and explore so many beautiful places, including numerous crashing waterfalls, visiting the Oregon Coast (which is now my favorite place in the world), and even a trip to the Redwoods National Forest!

I have found myself having capacity to explore my interests, including crochet, diamond painting, spirituality, learning to cook better and keep plants alive, reading, and of course, writing. It has been slower getting back into creative writing than I had hoped, probably due to the shift of being a full-time counselor now. But I know that my writing is going to soar as I continue to ease back into it; I've never had more ideas flooding my brain for story ideas than I do with the scenery around here. The mossy forests and flowing rivers and streams inspire the magic I have been trying to express in my novels for years; I finally have seen my stories in real life, and that is incredible. My boyfriend and I are even trying to write a story together, which is so fun!

When we first arrived in Oregon, I found myself entranced by the dragonflies, and it felt like they were following me as I saw them almost every time I went outside. Granted, there are over 90 species of dragonflies in Oregon, and there's generally many more here than in Colorado, but this felt huge to me. It felt like a sign, a sign that I was in the right place, following my "destiny" so to speak. When I looked up their symbolism, I was pleasantly surprised to find that dragonflies symbolize transformation and new beginnings. I feel this could not be more true for me and my life.

As I continue to explore and engage with this next chapter, finding ways to get back the relationship I want with writing, I will look to the dragonflies and their wisdom. They reassure me I made the right decision, that this next chapter of my life is solely about pursuing the life I want to live.

And I know that as I turn the page into this next chapter, my dreams are truly within reach.