Happy 2024 from Florida! · 7:32pm January 2nd
Greetings Fimfictioners, and a happy 2024 to you all!
I'm writing to you all today from Florida on Vacation and it was much needed and has been so excellent. I know it's been a minute since I've been on here but I also feel comfortable here telling you guys about life stuff so I'm chronicling updates on this little blog since it's a safe space.
Christmas was alright. The food was really good. I got a few things I wanted but we couldn't afford Korean lessons. I can't blame my mom there, though, considering they're like 300 bucks for 20 sessions. It's alright though. I got to be Santa for a little bit that day and that was fun. My cousin's PS4 broke so I gave him mine since I don't use it enough to get my money's worth from it. He'll get way more use out of it, and that's how it should be.
My Dad lost his job in November so now I'm paying his phone bill of $55 per month in order to make sure he can look for another job so the financial strain is on. In lieu of this I'm trying to make 2024 a year of paying down and paying off debt so I have more room to make better money decisions. I'm writing it here to hold myself accountable, I think.
The Goal: $2,801.60.
It's insanely steep and literally closer to 1/2 of what I make in a year (Hell, disability won't even let me have that much in my bank at once) but if I managed to get all of it paid off life would be way smoother. I have no idea how I'm going to tackle it but I'm reading a book to try and get educated and figure out what I can do to pay it off to make my life easier so I can free up more of my money to work for me. In lieu of birthday presents I think I'll be asking for money to pay that off instead. (And if anyone out there is still in the holiday spirit and willing to help me tackle this task, my PayPal email is calmerachelberry@aol.com where the bank can't screw me over.). The good news is 2 of those debts are definitely doable this year which is great and will be a relief. I already tried returning a phone I didn't need to Verizon but they said it was too late for that. So, trying to get it paid off and using the cash to pay off debt it is!
In other news: I found out the man I was in a relationship for 9 years with is actually a trans woman this week and that was a fun little existential crisis of wondering if a lot of my firsts (First kiss, first date, etc.) Were still valid as being heterosexual or not. I had a martini in the airport as I tried to grapple with that one. She's doing well though, and I'm happy that she feels comfortable enough to ask me questions about what it means to be a woman.
My vacation, in contrast to that whirlwind of ups and downs, has been amazing. Alright, my ear not popping from the plane ride over for 2 days and being painful wasn't that great, but it popped eventually and has been amazing. I've gone to the beach, I took my family to Korean Barbecue and was delighted to find that their family of picky eaters loved it just as much as I hoped they would, we went to Publix and got the subs I dream of and crave. I got to see a famous bar yesterday, and tonight we're doing a ghost tour of the town, which my horror loving heart is excited for.
2023 was full of lessons for me I think, and in 2024 I'm going in with an attitude of gratitude. I think for most of my life my circumstances effected my mood so much that I couldn't really take the blinders off to see how much I already had. But when I think about it now, I'm really blessed, actually. My Mom is awesome, I have great friends, my dog loves me, I have great fans (thanks guys 💖), a language I'm excited to learn, and have seen so many beautiful places. I'm lucky to have that much, and I finally have the space to see it.
Thank you guys for being a part of my journey. I don't think I really appreciated how much I found a supportive community here. Ironically it's more supportive here than on Ao3, and I've been posting there all year. I've been taking a break from writing lately to focus on myself, and it's been really helpful for my mental health. I spent 16 months on a series that finished in February of last year, and 7 long fics the rest of the year, so taking a real break was definitely overdue. The last update I made was on halloween that wasn't a Christmas present for a friend of mine, and I've been enjoying the time off. But I miss writing in a way, and connecting with fans. It's like a little window into the world. But regardless of whether I'm actively writing or not, I'm grateful to have all of you as a part of my life.
Thank you, all of you, for being a part of my journey. Here's to a new one in 2024! 🎉
it really is amazing having people on this site who stick around with each other as we all journey through life. I’m glad to have and continue to be one for you. 
