HEY, YOU NEED PEOPLE.

I got comfortable. That's what it all boils down to. 

I became way too okay with being alone for long periods of time and keeping it to myself. I became alright with saying 'no' every time I was asked to go out, and my anxiety rose to the scene whenever someone asked me something personal. Like I was going to be ripped to shreds if what my life looked like, if anything I felt like was something other than happy, joyful, and better off - healed. 

I think it all began last December. The crying myself to sleep at night made me numb to authencity. The "having to be okay" with distancing myself from my close friends, not being invited to holiday things and bottling up my feelings, covering it up with no expression - none. 

I began to wonder if I was just done being here in California. I began to wonder if I was meant to find myself somewhere else. 

I grew a mentality that I didn't need people. I didn't need friends, I didn't need God. 
But I have never been so wrong in my life. 

Throughout 2021, I spent a lot of my time away from people I was once close to. Not that I completely abandoned myself, but I became aware of situations and removed myself from anything that felt, "close". Until one day, it was so normal for me. It was normal for me to explore the world alone, to shop and eat alone and to spend my nights just me and my guitar, not talking to a single person for days. 

I can't say I was depressed, I was just doing life. I was just going through the motions, not a high nor a low. I learned a lot about myself this year and I am so thankful for a year of learning and leaning and loving who God created me to be. Don't get me wrong, there isn't anything bad with spending time by yourself - in fact, I like it a lot. I think most people go through life 100% fine like that. 

But for someone who all my life has been someone who is deep and gets personal, I didn't think it would catch up to me. 

Recently, I have been feeling the weight of it. Maybe its the colder weather or the fact that for once in my life I am not in a relationship or meeting up with random guys at the bar. Maybe it's the fact that I don't hear from many friends anymore or go out like I used to. Maybe it's all the months catching up to me that makes me feel as if i'm just used to it all. 

Yesterday was the first time I cried about it. I woke up, drank my coffee, put on my clothes and the thought of everyone in the house gone and having no set plans for the first weekend in awhile, made me feel as if maybe I've been living afraid all year long. 

And I have. 

I've been so damn afraid of being close to people. I've ran away from deepness, from vulnerability and from everything that sinks deeper than surface level conversations. 

Never in my life have I been someone who escapes the hard stuff... until 2021. 

I never understood when people would tell me they want to keep things private, they don't like to tell people things until this past year. It wasn't until I found myself in a place where my only saving grace was to keep everything to myself and keep it away from anyone who can judge me. 

You know, when fear enters your body, you have two decisions - fight or flight. You can run from your fear OR you can OUT run fear and fight that shit. 

I thought this year I found all that was meant to be fought. and for the majority of all the baggage I needed to uncover, I did fight it. But what I have been recently finding out is that I forgot to get over the damn fear of opening my heart once more. 

It's hard to relearn trust, it's tough to relearn love. 

and I've wanted nothing to do with either of those things all year. 
Until this week. 

I forgot what it feels like to be hugged - I think I just want a long hug more than ever. I want to feel the warmth that comes with friendships, lovers, family. But I lost so much of myself hiding from people. 

I've fallen in love with being alone. 
But there is a reason God made Eve for Adam - people can't do life alone. You weren't meant to journey by yourself, you were meant to take the hand of another and conquer the adventures together.

There's an old African proverb that says, "if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far go together." and I never dissected that but the more I re-read it, it's true.

I've gone so fast this year, I patched up all my scars and said a huge fuck you to many things that didn't serve me any good. I go on planes faster than I could blink and I made decisions fast and certain. But I didn't get far because here I am, sitting on my bed on a cold Sunday night realizing that I am back at square one: trying to sew up the parts that hurt because I didn't sit in them. 

It takes a lot for me to call up a friend and tell them I feel lonely. It takes so much debating if I should send a text out and see if someone wants to hang out with me .. because I feel like a burden some days. But If you are anything like me, do yourself a favor and just send the text. make the call. 

It's healthy to spend time alone, you will NEVER get to know who you are if you don't actually learn solitude and aloneness.. but you can't do life completely alone. You just cannot. 

I was wrong. I need people. I really do. So as the new year begins again, I am going to unpack that fear and try again. I am going to try to be intentional and I am going to share my stories because I was wrong, they do matter. I am going to find a balance of being alone and spending time with people. I am going to reflect on certain feelings and I am going to sit in the silence. I am going to fight. But I am going to give this girl in me grace. lots of loving grace. 

I hope you do the same. 

XO, J.