27

To the 6 year old baby who just wanted a nice friend.

To the girl at 12 who didn’t think we’d make it to 19.

To the 17 year old who felt like her world was ending.

To the 20 to 21 year old who didn’t sleep for a year from others’ problems.

To the 24 year old scared woman in an MRI.

To the 25 year old living alone for the first time.

Why 27 Matters

No one understands why 27 means so much to me. But it proves ten years since my last ten year plan. Six years since shitty friendships. Twenty-seven years of crying in closets and bathrooms to having built a life for myself.

To being 27 and happy, when there were moments I didn’t think I deserved it.

2024 Accomplishments

• Moved to a new country alone
• Celebrated a birthday without the people I’ve celebrated all previous birthdays with
• Survived falling down the stairs (again)
• Started a new job (twice with the same company)
• Built a relationship with four vendors
• Looked after a household — cleaning, cooking, all of it
• Visited my home country
• Successfully explained my concussion story in Portuguese
• Reached the one year mark of my concussion and car accident

To 2024 and all the hours it brought.

The Timeline

6 AM — Arriving in Portugal to make it my home

7 AM — Joburg traffic

8 AM — On the Metro in Lisbon

9 AM — Starting a new job

10 AM — Breakfast with my sister

11 AM — Quick gym lunch session

12 PM — Lunch alone in a Tasca

1 PM — Vovó’s 90th birthday lunch

2 PM — Christmas lunch with my aunts

3 PM — On the beach in European summer

4 PM — Coffee break at the office

5 PM — Meetings with directors and above

6 PM — Portuguese classes

7 PM — Waiting for the train in the rain to go see Noah Kahan in the Netherlands

8 PM — Watching the Eras Tour

9 PM — Walking through Den Haag forest

10 PM — Christmas market exploring

11 PM — Bed time

12 PM — Eating grapes under the table to start off 2024

1 AM — On a yacht for São João

2 AM — Reading a book

3 AM — Waiting up for a chance to see the northern lights

4 AM — Leaving the club on Halloween

5 AM — Waking up for a game drive

“Twenty-seven years of learning that the best version of me was always the one who kept going.”