Is it not totally ironic that the most recent post I’ve shared on here was about staying consistent, and then I totally disappeared for a month? Don’t take this the wrong way, but I genuinely do not care how that makes you feel about me. Any chance I get to just hide away and live life is something I cherish immensely. It can be so insanely exhausting trying to fulfill the wants and desires of everyone around you. You can only imagine how heightened this sensation is in my mind, the mind of a pathological people pleaser.
Since starting my website, I have taken two main breaks: the holiday season of late 2025 and the spring of 2026. These breaks were not out of laziness or avoiding work. I took these breaks because I had so much happening in my life that I wanted to soak in and relish. I did not want to feel constrained to a website I started on my own accord. Again, it seems ironic and a little confusing, doesn’t it? Well, that’s how these periods have felt for me.
When I paused my blogging at the end of 2025, there were two things pulling me away from my online presence. The first being my writing. I did not want to put my energy and time into my short blog posts when I had so many ideas firing around in my mind for actual pieces of cohesive writing. I’ve been lucky enough to say that the fuel has not burned out quite yet, and that I have been working on a multitude of projects that I hope to share with you someday. One project is a fictional book series, and in a totally different realm, I have rekindled my love of writing screenplays. Do you sense a rebrand happening soon? * Insert mischievous laugh! *
The end of 2025 also set me up for success in my personal life. In the almost three years since I moved home to Jacksonville, my biggest personal battle has been centered around my social and dating life. While I am still incredibly single – unfortunate, I know – I have finally started to find my people here. My best friend, who adulthood has brought me, Holland in Mishaps & Mistakes, seemed to be my cure for the lack of friendships. For the first two years I was back, she invited me a million times over to events and hangouts with her local friends. I am strong enough to admit that I let my anxiety win over and over again, leading me to decline or cancel on these invites more times than I can count. Christmas 2025 came along, and she finally got me at an event. I didn’t cancel, I didn’t even attempt to, and the end results were amazing. Since their group’s annual Christmas party, I started saying yes to more and more of these invites. Almost five months later, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing these people almost twice a week. These aren’t just people, though. I genuinely see them as my friends, and I can tell that I’m going to love the life I build alongside them.
My other main pause in blogging has been very recent, time-wise. My last blog was posted on April 2nd. Today is May 11th. The last month or so has been a wild and hectic ride for me. During this time, I finished my last full-time semester of college. If you’re someone I have known since high school, you can only imagine how much this means! My college experience has been incredibly rocky, and it has spanned almost nine years of my life. I’ll save the full story for another time. This summer, I am finishing my last two courses and working as an intern for the summer and fall semesters. If all goes to plan, I’ll walk the stage for my Bachelor’s in Communications & Media the same week I turn 27 years old. What better birthday gift to myself than a piece of cardstock that cost me almost $40,000 and a huge chunk of my lifetime? So, do you think you can forgive me for waiting to come back on here?
Please, don’t think of all of this as an excuse. Instead, I want you to take it as a reminder. A reminder that even people with a platform are still people. They have lives, responsibilities, and probably a full calendar outside of their media presence. There is absolutely nothing wrong with stepping back and doing what is best for you. In the words of Taylor Swift, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.” Fun fact, I think “Shake It Off” is one of Taylor’s worst songs. Controversial, I know. Might as well let them do it and just continue on your merry way.
I have a lot in store for all of us this summer, and I hope you have as much fun following my posts and adventures as I do. I cannot wait to check in again and let you all know what’s happening. Cheers to summer!
Joseph Jarrett 
Leave a comment