GROW WITH SARAH GRACE

Another 12 months has come and gone, and I swear every year I think it goes by so fast but so much can happen in those 365 days. This was a big year for me. I spent the first half of the year enjoying my last semester of college in a city I’ve grown to love and cherish. 

I spent endless nights dancing around the streets of Chicago with my roommates, hosting dinner parties in my skyscraper apartment, exploring bars and coffee shops around the city, writing interesting pieces for my classes and soaking up every moment before being pushed into the “real world.” 

In May, I said goodbye to Chicago and the friends I made along the way. I graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in MultiMedia Journalism and I even got to speak at my Commencement ceremony. 

I was chosen as the student speaker for my class and it was an honor and experience I will never forget. I was able to tell my story of being inspired by my Babci to pursue a career centered around writing. I also thanked those who got me to where I am – my loving parents, supportive brothers and awe-inspiring grandparents. With this speech, a chapter ended and I was forced to turn the page and find my next chapter’s destination.

About a week after walking across the stage, I was given a job offer I couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t the original idea but I tend to take the road less traveled. In August, I was due to move to Paris, France to teach English and be an Au Pair for a lovely French family.

Before I could start that adventure, I spent some time in my hometown working every job I could find to fund my future Parisian lifestyle. In between picking up shifts whenever I could, I was able to travel a little bit and sadly had to say goodbye to my childhood dog, Coney. 

I took a family trip to Hawaii and had amazing experiences like a helicopter tour and seeing the “Road to Hana.” I also saw some of my family in Nashville, Tennessee and in Gainesville, Florida and even made sure to make time for a visit or two to Chicago to see my people one last time before I moved 4,000 miles away.

Now, since nothing can go exactly according to plan in my life, just about 24 hours before my flight to Paris, I tested positive for COVID-19. Because of this, I wasn’t able to move to Paris until September and although I thought this would set me back in the “making friends” front, I was able to find a concrete group within a month of living in the “City of Light.”

Paris was going swell. I had good company, I spent nearly every weekday exploring a new part of the city. I formed a solid routine and saw a new museum every week, spent my morning sipping coffee with an Eiffel Tower view and my nights at pubs and speakeasies with my friends. 

After a month of spending weekends seeing Paris, I started traveling and was able to see places like Amsterdam, Belgium, Scotland, London, Normandy, Strasbourg and Manchester before the year was over. I was living a pretty adventurous and bold life that I was loving until on a Sunday, one phone call changed it all – again.  

If I was to choose one phrase to describe my 2023, I would say “déjà vu.” Ironically, I moved abroad this year – again and while living abroad, I lost an important person in my life – again. 

On November 5, just after returning from my trip to Amsterdam and Belgium, I was unpacking and getting ready for another week of work and play and preparing for my next trip – Scotland. My phone rang and although the caller ID said it was my Matka (Polish for Mother), my uncle was on the other end and he explained to me that my Babci wasn’t doing well and that in a short while, she would be gone. 

A few hours after I said goodbye, she passed and a week later, I was on a flight from Scotland to Dayton, Ohio to see my family for a couple of days. Although jet lag was a serious contributor, I was grateful to be able to see my family and have a sliver of peace in saying goodbye to my greatest inspiration and angel. 

Looking back on the year now, I am also eternally grateful that my Babci was able to listen to me speak at my Commencement and hear just how big of an influence she has had on me in my lifetime. I will endure a lifetime of missing her and my Pop, because I had the privilege of knowing and loving them. 

2023 has treated me okay. I’ve come to terms with the feeling that not everything will go my way and it’s how I deal with the circumstances that will help me through my darkest times. 2023 has taught me many lessons I will hold for the rest of my life but the biggest one is that you can chase your dreams but never forget the road that takes you back home. 

For 2024, I’m hopeful. I only know what the next 7 months of my life looks like but after that, the world is truly my oyster and I’m excited for what’s to come. I usually make a vision board and set expectations for the new year but for 2024, I’m letting life happen and cherishing every moment. I am going to soak up every memory made in Paris and Europe and am ready to write about it all. This year, I plan to get back into my writing and post more frequently on this blog and other platforms as well. Cheers to 2024!