🥂 HAPPY NEW YEAR! (Wow, I'm late aren't I?)
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Hey Reader, It's been a minute, and I know it. But in my defense—I had a baby! I know, not the best excuse for disappearing, but let me tell you, life has been a wild adjustment. Just the other day, I missed a phone call while putting my daughter to sleep and got a paragraph-long message about how I’m terrible at keeping in touch and probably ignored the call on purpose. Ouch. It’s hard not to take things personally, especially when they feel personal. But the truth is, nothing about this past year has been intentional—except surviving and keeping this tiny daredevil alive. She wants to launch herself into harm’s way at every opportunity, and somehow, I’m supposed to figure out how to still be a whole person with hobbies, interests, and the ability to answer the phone? Maybe that’s rhetorical, but I’m working on it. Here’s what I have been doing to feel a little more like myself:
- Museum trips. I got annual passes to the closest museum so I can take her and still enjoy things I loved before she arrived.
- Daily walks. The same ones I used to take with my dogs—now with her strapped in a carrier or cruising in a stroller.
- Sharing my love for books. We read together, and even if the stories are simpler now, it still feels like me.
Sometimes, it’s about adjusting my old interests to her level. And other times, it’s about experiencing things through her eyes. I’ve never cared much about pigeons, crows, or seagulls, but to her, they’re fascinating—they fly, they appear out of nowhere, and they’re basically magic. To quote the old cliché (I hate clichés, but sometimes they’re true): sometimes, you really do have to stop and smell the roses. Or in our case, watch the birds, touch the leaves, and enjoy a simple neighborhood walk like it’s a visit to the Louvre. I’ve also been thinking a lot about what work looks like for me now. I’m still freelancing, still creating—but also exploring what stability could look like in this next season of life. It’s weird, it’s exciting, and honestly? It’s a little uncomfortable. But growth usually is, right? Oh, and in the midst of all this? I’m still freelancing, working on some cool projects, and figuring out what’s next. More on that soon—because if I tried to fit it into this email, we’d be here all day. So that’s where I’ve been. Still here, just figuring things out. But enough about me—how’s your year starting off? Hit reply and let me know what’s new with you. And if you’ve ever had to completely recalibrate your identity, I’d love to hear how you did it. Talk soon (I promise this time), ugh, you probably don't believe me. I GET IT! I GET IT. Serena ​ |
Hey! I'm Serena Alfaro
Helping regular people turn ideas into digital offers, one step at a time.
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