2024 was genuinely the worst year of my life. I was burnt out to the point of being diagnosed with panic disorder. Had a subsequent mental health spiral that genuinely scared the sh*t out of me. Was questioning if the career I chose for myself was an idiotic move on my part. What kept me going was my community. My sweet husband who would do breathing exercises with me when I started having panic spirals and couldn’t catch my breath. My friends who would come and visit me at home because I couldn’t bring myself to leave the house. The homegirls that rallied around me like the avengers to offer me freelance opportunities at their respective publications as soon as I announced that I was a free agent. The friends and family who picked up on my subtle cues that I was scarily depressed because I still have a hard time recognizing and talking about my emotions. That being said, the low that was 2024 has made me appreciate the high that 2025 has started with. I got to go on the best trip that was planned by my bridesmaids. I got to marry the man of my dreams. And today I get to reveal my first print byline in the iconic Marie Claire magazine, something I don’t think I realized I wanted as bad as I did. In a society like ours, hell in a city like ours, it’s hard to not end up on autopilot. We tend to achieve one thing and immediately move on to the next. But I want to take one moment to recognize a few things. For me, the whole “dream job” thing is done. However, I know without a doubt that beauty editorial (and really, the beauty industry at large) is my zone of genius. These opportunities come to me because I know what I’m talking about and I do my best to treat the people in my life the way I want to be treated—with kindness. Little Ariel who felt like this “perfect” job was so out of reach that she couldn’t wrap her head around it (and actually immediately disregarded it) is so proud. I recognize and receive that. All this to say: 2025 continue to show out for me. God, continue to show me just how good it can get.