My friend Felicia is one of my favorite follows on Twitter. In fact, that’s how we met. She is a brilliant marketer, writer, human being with a heart of gold and a dark, dark sense of humor—because you need someone to crack inappropriate depression joke with sometimes.

She posted a thread on Twitter about her 2018 accomplishments—so often many of us downplay our accomplishments or focus on our failures—and it inspired me to do the same. When I look back at the year, it’s so marred with my hospitalization and depression, but I am and have accomplished so much more than that.

Without further adieu… here’s mine. What were your greatest accomplishments?

1. I published my writing in more outlets than in any other year…EVER.
2. Including in Women’s Health, which was on my dream publication list for this year.
3. I have things in the work with several other outlets on my dream list!
4. I’m at least halfway through my book proposal, and the time I’ve left it sitting in the past few weeks has given me space and perspective to make it stronger and matter to more than just myself.
5. I got my NASM personal training certification. My best friend tutored me, and I studied hard while in a psych ward.
6. I also got my yoga teacher training certification—something I’ve been thinking about for years but wasn’t sure I’d ever do.
7. I tried out living in LA for two months. I’m not sure it’s for me, but I am SO glad I did it—I’d always wanted to live in California.
8. I started the year in Brazil, Peru and—oops!—Colombia. I felt confident and competent conversing with my Spanish minor.
9. I managed to run several races despite being on a whole bevy of psychiatric meds.
10. I attended my first writing retreat, Write Doe Bay, which made me realize I matter—as a writer, as a human.
11. I surfed a whole lot this summer. (In NY…yet only surfed once while in LA??)
12. I launched a podcast and have already lined up SO MANY AWESOME GUESTS. It’s fun to have a new project where I only answer to myself.
13. I have been largely successful at cutting back on drinking, after learning just how acutely it affects my mood.
14. I learned how to listen to myself and figure out what makes me happy (and conversely, NOT happy.)
15. I was hypnotized, and I saw a medium—I was open to whatever it took to heal.
16. I did a SHIT ton of therapy and confronting some of the uglier parts of myself and others—and also learned to really love and forgive myself.
17. My BFF (and best travel companion ever) and I took a XC train trip to CA, stopping at 7 national parks along the way.
18. Stealing this from Felicia, too:  And the most important thing. I took my meds every day and kept on living—even when I did not want to.