XENO

Hi Love,
I’m so excited to see you here!

A warm welcome from me to you. I’m beyond happy that we found each other despite the odds, and I can’t wait to share my stories with you. To briefly introduce myself, I’m a twenty-something-year-old living in Los Angeles who loves to capture moments through literature and photography. I consider myself both a storyteller and an avid observer of life, and I hope to bring people together by sharing my experiences as a young adult navigating through life, relationships, and mental health.

Stories are powerful mediums that give people the voice and opportunity to be heard and seen. They empower us to tell our truths while simultaneously validating those who don’t have the words to neatly translate their experiences onto paper. Sometimes, life can be extremely overwhelming, and hardships can make us feel alone. But more often than not, our individual journeys are universal. By sharing our stories, we allow ourselves to connect with those around us and create meaning around our everyday experiences.

Growing up, mental health was always challenging for me, and even now, it remains a complex journey I’m navigating. Let’s be real, life sometimes sucks, and many of its challenges are weathered privately behind perfect façades, making it difficult to explain the invisible belligerence that storms within us. How do we begin to ask for help when we struggle to fully comprehend the big feelings that suffocate us? How can we articulate our experiences with eloquence when we can’t quite pinpoint the nuances of our emotions?

The healing process can be demanding, but know that wherever you are in your journey, you are not alone.

Others most certainly have experienced something similar. And that’s the beauty of this column – you don’t have to personally know me to relate to my stories.

Here, I’ll share the pages of my journal. They will be personal and raw, but all in hopes of helping you feel seen. Through these entries, I will detail all the good and the bad, and all the big questions that cloud my mind. I will share the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned, including the revelations I’ve come to. The value isn’t so much the stories I tell you but the knowledge that whatever you are going through, you are valid and deserve to take up space.

Healing, for the most part, is extremely painful – don’t let social media delude you to think otherwise. The stories I share will be unfiltered, as my purpose isn’t to glamorise my healing. My purpose is to be authentic and vulnerable so I can truly connect with those who can relate. I promise to be provoking; my writing will absolutely encourage you to think and feel deeply. So, only subscribe if you are ready to meet me halfway, but go at your own pace and have compassion for yourself. On the days when it feels too overwhelming, exit out of the story. There’s no rush; the words will remain on paper when you are ready to read on.

By sharing my experiences, I hope to bring comfort to your aching heart and alleviate the heavy burdens resting on your shoulders. I hope to wholeheartedly validate your pain whilst gently inspiring you to keep going even when it feels impossible. May the accounts I detail remind you that you are not running behind; you are right where you need to be. And neither are you alone; we are in this together.

There is so much for us to learn from each other and so much more friendship to build. I’m excited to have you join my healing and thank you for letting me be a part of yours. I can’t wait to get to know you and tell you more about myself in the upcoming journal entries. So be sure to subscribe; you won’t want to miss my stories!

As always, sending you love and warm hugs,
xx