New year. New beginning. We wish each other another great year ahead, but can we still hold that mindset when things go sour? Someone said it’s a privilege to feel frustrated by the life you once desperately wanted. And indeed, it is a privilege to stress about dreams that actually came true. Then what? Sometimes that truth, as beautiful as it sounds, still isn’t enough to carry you through the hard days. Especially when the storms feel so much bigger than the bravery it took

“Did I pass the exam? Or did the exam pass me?” I’ve said this almost every year, but this time it feels different. It didn’t feel like just a difficult test. It felt like a final exam for a whole chapter coming to a close before a new one begins—one of those moments where you know the page is about to turn, and the only way out is through. There was no option but to pass. It’s as if everything hidden and undesirable suddenly rose to the surface, appearing like a typhoon but

- So, what are you thinking now that we’re done with the temazcal ceremony? Or nothing? - No no, Master, you should listen to her. She’s very good. - Mmm… You know what, I’m actually not thinking about anything at all, which is very odd for someone who has a racing mind and can wake up at 2, 3, 4, 5 a.m. quite often for no reason other than just to jot down her excessive thoughts like me… I also kind of feel privileged in some way that I don’t understand Spanish while we prac