Welcome to Prologs. My name is Mary, and when I get overwhelmed and start feeling behind,

I find it helpful to zoom out and remind myself that I am still in the beginning of my story.

I'm sharing all of my life's chapters, mental health, relationships, wellness, beauty,

the chaos of being in my 20s, and all of life's unexpected turns.

Prologs is the best way to start your week, so join me every Monday morning for a new entry into my digital journal.

Welcome back to Prologs. This is the final episode of 2023. Next Monday is Christmas Day.

I won't have an episode next week. So here we are wrapping up the year. I've sat down

to record and outline this episode multiple times and I've had a really hard time with it. I wanted the

final episode of the year to be a reflections, kind of a wrapped, prologs wrapped. And it's been

really tough for me to get this out. I've recorded this episode a few times, and each time I just haven't been happy with it.

Originally, this episode was going to be sort of a life lessons I've learned this year type of episode, and I realized, eventually, I can't record that episode because I haven't processed most of what has happened to me in 2023. I genuinely think I haven't processed

anything since mid-March. So instead, I'm going to walk you through my process for recapping

a year to myself, the ritual that I go through in the routine I have to close a year with grace

and to enter into a new year with intention and mindfulness and

just kind of navigating that transition between the years because this is one of my favorite,

favorite times of year. Finkers crossed, I get through this episode, one, without crying, and two,

while making sense, and three, after I finish recording, I like it it and this is the final episode that I have to

record. I hope as you listen to this episode you're also able to reflect on the year and just think

about the idea of not letting New Year's Eve and New Year's Day sort of pass by just as an

excuse, not an excuse, but as a chance to party. I mean, I'm for sure going to be partying for

New Year's Eve. But I do think this time of year is so much more than that. And I love the holiday.

I love dressing up. I love champagne. I love glittery decorations. I love the excitement. I think

...