Hi Reader,

Sometimes it takes coming back home to remember not only who we are, but how much we've grown.

I'm writing this from my hotel room in NYC, just a block from where I worked my first job and seven blocks from my very first "adult" apartment. I'm an hour away from my childhood home, surrounded by the people, places, and memories that shaped me. And something magical is happening - I'm remembering who I am.

The girl who protected slugs from her classmates.

Who had a favorite tree in the backyard named Herman.

Who would apologize to blades of grass when she stepped on them.

Who always fought to protect creatures - big and small - from harm.

That Amanda is still here. She's the same woman who stops in her tracks today when she sees a bird in need, an insect trapped indoors that would rather be outside, or a person suffering who might need a friendly smile or simple eye contact to know they're not invisible.

We spend so much of our lives moving forward - becoming different people - that we sometimes forget the magic we've always carried. We try to create futures in spite of our pasts, when the truth is our past is our foundation. It's not something to hide from or rise above; it's the very thing that gives us strength.

The version of myself I've become exists because of who I once was. Because of where I grew up, the family I belong to, the loving parents who always did their best, and the childhood friends who caught my tears through heartbreak, bad grades, and all the difficult experiences that shaped me.

Here's what I'm remembering: No matter how far you come in life, no matter the distance between where you grew up and where you now call home, you are always a version of you. The you you've always been - just dressed up and grown up, yet still very much the same on the inside.

Our lives are a series of coming back home to ourselves. In each return, we remember and reconnect to our essence, then continue growing forward while honoring that truth. The more we try to ignore or hide from it, the less happy we feel. The more we embrace our true essence, the more aligned and fulfilled we become.

So here I am, watching my past and future collide to create the woman I am today - and the woman I'm still becoming. I'm remembering that growth isn't about leaving ourselves behind; it's about bringing all of who we are along for the journey.

What part of your younger self are you ready to welcome home?

With love and remembering,

Amanda