Dear, letter readers – it’s that time of year again!
First and foremost, welcome back to Letters From Liz. I am beyond grateful that 9 years later, there are people on the internet that actually read my blog in this little corner of it. The blog has definitely shifted within the last couple of years, but one thing has always remained the same:
Ladies and gents, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Just like every year, we start off the first day doing an informal reintroduction, just in case there are new readers that may not know the person behind the different series on here. Oh! And if you’re interested in reading last year’s Lizmas posts, you can read them here.
Without further ado: Hi! My name is Liz!
First and foremost, I was diagnosed with OCD during the Summer. I think the biggest thing that changed for me this year was that I finally got some answers to some questions I used to deem as unanswerable… or just deemed them as personality quirks. Just with any diagnosis out of the blue, I didn’t believe that I actually had it. I had this misconception that OCD was truly how it was depicted in the media, and for me it was nothing like that. The more research I did and the more I sat with this diagnosis, I’ve realized that the behaviors and thoughts I deemed as a part of my personality was OCD diagnosing itself in “quirks”. I did not realize that mental compulsions, rumination, people-pleasing and seeking reassurance were all a part of the OCD cycle. Being the only person I personally know to have OCD, it was hard to see how it looked like on other people. It wasn’t depression or social anxiety, and a lot of the learning came with really sitting down with my thoughts and talking them out loud. Personally, I find myself getting clarity through a mobile app that was specifically designed for OCD. It allows me to fully talk out what’s going through my mind, while getting specific answers and guidance on how to navigate an episode.
It hasn’t been easy to manage, as it questions nearly everything coping mechanism and technique I’ve used to ease my mood and anxiety. It’s literally me retraining my brain, unlearning everything I thought was true, correct, and real. I’ve had my ups and downs, especially over the summer when I was still trying to figure things out with the new diagnosis. But! I’m now taking medicine to help with the compulsions, especially the ones that involve my hair. In the time I’m writing this (shoutouts to November being a quiet month for me in the office so I can write and prep posts, haha) I am growing out my eyebrows (again), and keeping my hair growth goal in mind every time I get the urge to pull, cut, or dye it impulsively.
I’ve fully embraced my sports side and now officially a baseball girly. Last postseason, the 2024 New York Mets (aka the NY team I was born into liking because of my dad) had considerably created history by not being even remotely close to making the postseason to then making it all the way to the NLCS; aka the “semi-finals” of major league baseball. The postseason was so inspiring to watch that I was extra excited for the 2025 baseball season. Guys… I followed the entire season and had my heart broken when the Mets missed the postseason by ONE game. It’s okay though; I realized that I just really like baseball! I truly think for the 2026 season, I am definitely going to some more games; the one game I went to this past season with my dad was so much fun! (Despite the Mets losing to the Tampa Bay Rays and it being cold and rainy).
I’m always excited to discover something new that I like, and I haven’t felt this way since the pandemic, being in the K-Pop community. This time, I was able to share this interest with my partner and actually sit down on some nights to watch the different baseball games on. It feels good to finally be accepting to a new interest or hobby without making it my entire personality, y’know?
Gosh, what else can I say?
I am continuing to navigate my 30s by balancing adulthood with my youth. One thing I’ve noticed about my 30s is that it’s looking a lot different than my 20s. In my 20s, I was taking life a little too serious without having the necessary resources. I was still a student, I didn’t have any prior work experience, and I was still battling my mental health in the midst of trying to find my identity. These days, I find myself being a little ease with life, truly taking it one day at a time without the pressure of needing to have everything figured out. Sure, there’s tons of things I need to learn and manage better (money, I’m looking right at you), but I can honestly say that my 30s have been some of the best years I’ve had because I have such a better understanding on who I am without–yes, this is also OCD related— believing I’m doing everything wrong.
As always, here re some other facts about me that have not changed:
- I’m a proud owner of two of the cutest boy cats, as well as a 6-year old turtle that likes to stare at himself in the mirror on his rock.
- I’m still living in NYC, which still will never change…but maybe I’ll finally live on my own in the future!
- I have a ton of tattoos; some dedicated to my time being a K-Pop stan (many of them being related to my ultimate favorite K-Pop group, Victon). Do I want more tattoos? Of course, what kind of millennial would I be?
- I no longer do penpal writing, but still use my calligraphy skills to make up beautiful holiday cards for my job and birthday cards for my loved ones.
- I still spend a lot of my time outside of my 9 to 5 hanging out, exploring new places to eat with my partner or simply checking out a place I’ve passed by on walks and such. One of my favorite finds this year was CityPoint BKLYN, an underground simulation of what a food street market looks like! Another highlight of a day adventure involves being in Fort Greene on the day that Spike Lee had this whole pop-up, meet-and-greet event over the summer. Although I didn’t go to many concerts this year, I made it up with more local events and attending gigs with my partner.
- Although I still find a lot of my interests changing (reading back to last year’s post, I guess I was getting into the Pokémon trading card world, which sadly I grew out of quickly, haha), I’m still very glad that I am open to trying (and liking) new things. I discovered a lot of new music I like, a lot of hobbies I like to do in my down time, and even reintroduce some of my old hobbies (like listening to the K-pop groups I liked before leaving the community). It helps me debunk this theory that constantly changing your interests or hobbies makes you “fake” or “disingenuous”.
And that’s about it! Although a lot hasn’t changed between last year and now, I truly feel like I am learning and growing each and every year I reflect and write these posts.
Anyway, cheers to the next 11 days of Lizmas! Stay tuned for more writing series, and some more of the traditional Lizmas type posts. See you back here tomorrow!
Letters From Liz. 