i’m only 23, so let’s do some stuff

  The title says it all. I’m only 23, & I’m ready to do some stuff. I’m young & I have nothing but myself holding me back. So it’s time to do something cool, something BIG, & something epic, or at least something different. This year I really am going to work hard at creating the life that I want to be living instead of just dreaming about it. I’m ready to plan, I’m ready to try, I’m ready to fall, I’m ready to push myself, & I’m ready to fail if I have to. I’m only 23, so let’s do some stuff.

Keep reading to see the stuff that I have in mind.

Travel, guys. Something so simple that my generation really craves, but acts like it’s the hardest thing ever to actually do. Guess what, it’s not. It’s not that hard to save. It’s not that hard to budget. It’s not that hard to plan a trip in advance & just go. So this year I’m holding myself to the promise to travel to three new places by the end of next year. And I’m adding going to San Fransisco & Sacramento at least once. I live relatively close to so many cool cities & it’s so silly that I haven’t been to a good deal of them. So I’m going. Watch me, or come with.

Start a business. This is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now. Except I’m not a good panner, I’m just really good at putting things off. I think & think & overthink about an idea & never let it see the light of day. I get too nervous about things not working out, to where I don’t even try & see if they’ll make it instead. But, not anymore.  This year I will, repeat, Abbey, you will start a business this year. No matter how big, no matter how small. Throw something out there into the business world & see who catches it.

Gon a coffee road trip. This basically needs no explanation. But it’s something I really want to do! Just map out a route, finds the good coffee shops along it via Instagram of course, & go. I love coffee, I love pleasing aesthetics, & I love when the two meet to create magic. So this year, I want to experience that fully. 

Build my brand & show the world what I am truly made of. Sometimes I feel that being 23 hinders me. Because I’m so young. Because I feel so lost. Because it seems like so much is at the tip of my fingers, but still so out of reach. I want to change that & free myself from the limitations that I give only to myself. I know what I am capable of, I just have to lay out my dreams & achieve them. It scares me so much even writing this, but I know that I have great opportunistic potential. I just have to go for it, reach out, ask, & not be afraid of being vulnerable with who I am & what I want. Mark my words, I will make things happen this year.

Develop more legit photography skills. For about the last 8 months, I have really fallen in love with photography & everything about it. The lighting of images, the editing of pictures, the way you can stage a photo just right to capture a single moment in time; it’s all just so fascinating to me. I’ve been exploring most of it with my iPhone, which is fine & fun & I’ve learned so much, but I’d honestly would love to start learning more about real cameras & actually using my own daily. I feel like this past year my creative energy has been what’s filled me most & I’d love to dive deeper into that joy & see where it takes me. 

The year of being 23 will hopefully be a year of growth. A year where I step out, a year where I step up, a year where I go & get what I want. I’m already a month into this age & I’ve done some pretty brave things here & there. I hope as the year continues, & I literally grow older & wiser, that more change would come. Years & time fascinate me & I can’t wait to see who I am when my next age rolls around. But until then, I’ll remember that I’m only 23, so let’s do some stuff. 

— abbey kay

*brought to you by someone who’s normally all talk & no action. & is trying desperately to change that