I am coming up on my one-year anniversary since moving to Boston. In 3 weeks I will have crossed that milestone and I see myself reflecting on my past self and how much I have changed.

I was so lonely when I first moved. It was something I figured would happen as I knew nobody in this city and was leaving behind my friends back in Cincinnati. But it was so much worse than I thought. I had nights where I would sleep only a handful of hours and had to rely on melatonin gummies to pass the night.

I would spend days locked up inside my room, leaving occasionally to buy groceries and to get a sub from the sandwich shop on the corner. My human interaction was restricted to my roommates, whom I saw rarely, and the cashier at the shop. Every day was a challenge and the only thing keeping me going was the fact that I had assignments to submit.

But as soon as classes started I found a new wave of energy. In my four years at Cincinnati, I never made friends with my fellow journalism students. I don’t know why, but it was something that I never did and I regret it to this day. But it was very different here. From the first day on, I felt like I had found my people.

People who share the same vision as me, to become a reporter and to help dispel misinformation in this world that is only riddled with fake news. I found people who I aspire to be like professionally and pushed me to be a better writer and journalist. It was like I was wandering a wasteland and I found a beacon of light.

These people slowly became my support system in this city. They were always there to push me up when I was down and give me moral and scholastic support when I needed it. They made me into a more confident person and I saw myself in friendly competition with them every class.

I was quickly brought out of my bubble and started making friends wherever I could. I never knew I could be such a social person until I moved here and things got only better after we welcomed in the new year.

I can say for certain that 2022 has probably been the best year of my life. I made deep connections with people whom I know will be around my entire life on top of being the closest I have ever been to achieving my dream of being a journalist, it is now only a matter of time.

I can’t help but get a little emotional as I type as I owe so much to the people I have around me right now. People whom I meet in person as well as virtually. They’ve given me the strength to push forward when I had every excuse to throw in the towel. I feel like I can credit myself a little for this to happen as I took the leap and moved to a completely new city where I know no one.

This particular piece is dedicated to them, the people who accepted me and made me feel worthy again. You know who you are, you have my never-ending gratitude.