I feel a little more hopeful than I have in the past.

Things have certainly changed in the last two years and for the first time in a long while, I am actually pretty happy with the way things have been going.

Namely, I'm excited to be rid of the job I've hated for the last year. As far as I know, there's a little less than a month to go before I'm free of that place. Free to figure out what I want to do next.

On top of that, I'm so incredibly grateful to be with someone who truly loves me. I've never been with someone who makes me feel so happy and appreciated. I'm excited to hit that 6 month mark in November.

When I first moved here, I often compared the sky to the way it looked back home. I thought it would never be as beautiful as it was when I was younger. I cursed the rain clouds that so often hung over the trees. I called the scenery around here a cage.

But it's not. There is beauty in the things I've thought trapped me for so long. It just took me years to realize it.

It's certainly been a bit of a month.

To start, on the 4th of the month, I was getting ready to head out to the store when my mom told me that my grandpa had passed away. Apparently he had sat down to take a nap and just... didn't wake up.

I didn't really know how to take the news at first, but I have been feeling ways about it in spurts since then. Memories resurfacing from my childhood and whatnot.

On another note, I did get to go to the fair with my boyfriend the other day!

I didn't enjoy going to the fair here when I first moved up into the area, but this time in particular felt really nice and special.

I forgot how much I really enjoy seeing bootleg merchandise. They had a bucket hat that had Pikachu's face on it... except it was brown and had floppy rabbit ears. That's not to mention bootleg Luigi and someone's Sonic OC as a hat. It was amazing.