I had started drafting this post earlier in the week while still in North Carolina with Kelsey’s family, but briefly put a pin in it so I could make sure I was spending my waking moments – the ones where I wasn’t working remotely, anyway – giving her two children the time, love and attention they deserve from me. Having returned back home to Massachusetts late yesterday evening, I was able to pick up where I left off and get right back into some deep reflecting on the first half of 2026 (so far!) and reviewing the progress I’ve made towards achieving the resolutions I had set for myself at the beginning of the year.
When I welcomed 2026 in Portland, Maine back in January, I knew it was going to be a year of milestones and big changes. I had a “Big Deal Birthday” to celebrate with friends and family that same month, and with entering a new decade of my life, so too came new aspirations and dreams for the years ahead.
I’ve kept the first half of the year relatively local, traveling often in and around New England (and North Carolina as of this past weekend/beginning of the week, of course!) while I’ve been working, spending time with my friends and family and celebrating their big milestones throughout this year, as well – like building new houses and starting new and exciting careers – all while planning my next big road trip/adventure in what will likely be the Southwestern United States and making my physical, mental and emotional health a priority instead of an afterthought.
There have been plenty of setbacks, of course. The economy is wretched, inflation and the casual cruelty of people is at an all-time high, and AI has been creeping into all facets of life – including my job – in a way that has shaken my confidence in my career when compounded with new bosses who keep trying to change the way I work to be more like them when I really, really, REALLY don’t want to be.
The people I cherish have lost loved ones to illnesses, time and advanced age, which has left me pondering my own mortality and the health/wellness of people like my mom and Oliver, and occasionally sends me into a panic attack-driven spiral as a result. There’s a lot of uncertainty, dread, and anxiety – not just for me – but for everyone just trying to make it through right now.
But the good is presently outweighing the bad, and for that I am truly grateful. I have my health, my family, good friends and a career (as uncertain as it feels at the moment.) I’m in a loving and fun relationship with one of my favorite people in the world, and now seems like the perfect time to do some checking-in on the resolutions I had made for myself this year to see what I’ve been able to accomplish and what I still need to work on in the second half of 2026.
As a reminder, these were my goals for the year:
- Pay off the last of my debt.
- Update/Renovate my family home.
- Be softer. Let things go.
- More international travel? Maybe?
Remember how I mentioned a wretched economy and ever-increasing inflation? Yeah. It has admittedly been a bit of a challenge paying off the last of my debt when it presently costs $60+ to put gas in my car and another $200+ to buy basic groceries to get me through the week. That being said, I’ve been fortunate enough to consistently pay off some of my debt, and have not ended up further in a hole despite the state of the world right now.
I do weekly/monthly budgeting for bills, necessities, and keeping just enough on the side so I can go have fun as an allotted “Mental Health Expense” – all while cancelling pricy subscriptions I rarely use, reducing my more expensive habits (i.e. caffeine!), and curbing impulse purchases that would set me back instead of propelling me forward. It’s not always easy – but I’ve been able to save money and still live my life as fully as I can!
Now that the warmer weather is here, beginning the process of cleaning/organizing and both updating and renovating my family home has been easier than it was during the extremely harsh and snowy Winter we had to get through, first. Or should I say – updating and renovating *my* home. That’s right, you guys – I’m a homeowner now! Earlier this month, my mom and I met with her Attorney so she could update her will/estate paperwork and her Power of Attorney since I was still just a kid the first time she had the documents drawn up.
Wanting me to be able to make important decisions on her behalf if and when the time came now that I’m older, kind-of-wiser, and definitely more responsible than I was in my teens – she also told me and her lawyer she wanted me to take over the ownership of the house she and my dad had built together when I was a child. The mortgage has been paid in full, which is a huge deal. I’m presently still in my apartment and she’s still going to live there, of course, and I’d never ask her to leave because I know how much it means to her and how so many of our family’s memories are wrapped up within it’s walls – but with the title paperwork now drawn up and filed – it’s really mine – which is a crazy thing to write down or say out loud right now. I own a house. I. Own. A. HOUSE?!
I digress – we’ve been slowly but surely going from room to room whenever I visit, cleaning and donating any and all things that no longer serve a purpose, and by Fall – we should be able to paint, re-do the flooring and some of the plumbing/electrical work, and eventually work our way to the outside by hiring some landscapers while getting some new siding, shutters, and completely re-doing her front porch and back deck. We have such big plans – and we’ve been starting small so that we don’t overwhelm ourselves or each other – but we’re getting there!
With the state of the world, being softer has been a challenge for sure. I hold a lot of anger at a lot of different things happening around me, including injustices and the “casual cruelty” I mentioned earlier. People just seem meaner and more brazen and bold in their hatred and ignorance, which isn’t all that surprising given whose in positions of leadership at the moment. It can be easy to meet people where they’re at and lose my temper – and I’ve admittedly done it more than once during the first half of 2026 – but I’m actively trying to be better.
I take deep breaths. I really do some soul searching before I engage anyone in any kind of heated conversation (usually at work), or I just walk away from it all together to protect my peace and my time. In regard to letting things go, there are still people/situations that have wronged me or my loved ones in the past – or who are still continuing their attempts to wrong me and my loved ones – like a certain woman in my community who famously lost a defamation trial two years ago after my boyfriend sued her, and who is now attempting to threaten me with a defamation lawsuit for speaking publicly about it and my experience throughout it…
But I know I can’t carry that anger forever. It’s not good for me, or anyone I care about, and I have to just let it go and let the people who choose misery over love and personal growth go down that path of destruction by themselves. I can’t let them take me down with them, especially since I have so much brightness and beauty happening around me at any given moment and so many things to look forward to in the second half of the year and my life in general.
… Now if only I could channel that level of Zen into myself whenever I’m behind the wheel.
And finally, while I haven’t taken the prospect of more international travel throughout this year completely off the table just yet – it is presently on the back-burner with all things considered. While I’ve been confirmed for a travel pass to fly for free with a certain airline moving forward and will definitely utilize that sooner than later (and I have to be very quiet on the details for privacy reasons!) I’m thinking I need to take some time getting things in order closer to home before I jet-set off to Italy or France again!
You never know, though. I might just take a long weekend away to Paris or Rome for the fun of it. I’ll file it under another “Mental Health Expense”!
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My hat is off to anyone who has already accomplished or who is still actively working towards achieving their goals for the year. I know it’s not easy, and it usually isn’t fun – but the ongoing efforts to better ourselves and break unhealthy habits or cycles is so inspirational. I’m so grateful to have such positive influences and people around me to love and support me on my respective journey to a happier, healthier 2026 and life overall.
Here’s to sending you all some renewed motivation on your own journeys towards your goals – and some hope for a wonderful weekend ahead.
See you all next week!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 