Nobody likes you when you’re 23!

I guess it’s become my own little tradition to write a birthday blog. I’m 23! It’s an age with no real milestone attached, but my older and wiser friends have reported it’s the age where your hangovers start to hit a little harder so I maybe I’ll lose some of my infamous resilience. I think I can already feel it happening.

My birthday finally coming around marks 2 weeks left in London. I’m the best version of myself in this city. The, for lack of better words, bitchy side of my personality has calmed down this year. I forgot what it’s like to be stressed. I hate driving so I love public transportation, even when there are delays and it’s hot and the tube is crowded. I’ve always characterized myself as severely high strung, but I feel like even that’s less true. I think living with a toddler will do that to you. I spend my days bee-bopping around London, with music constantly in my ears and a book always in my hand. It’s without a doubt been the best year of my life.

I’ll have a soft spot for this city until the day I die. I’m grateful for every train ride with Max, even the ones where he was crying or someone didn’t offer their seat so I had to stand and hold him the entire time. I’ll miss taking him to the park and playing football together. I’ll miss how he says my name like “Kilo.” I’ll miss my coffee shops and my usual walking routes. I’ll miss my friends, my host family, Greenwich park and market, the Uber boat, and the feeling of going over Tower Bridge and needing to pinch myself to make sure this isn’t some insanely long dream. I could go on forever, but I’ll spare you. 

But! Despite how sad I am to leave London, I truly believe life just keeps getting better and better. I am a little worried that the worser parts of my personality will make their reappearances as I depart this era of my life. To some extent it’s inevitable, law school will be stressful and draining and difficult, but I think I’m better prepared to handle it after this past year. Something about holding a screaming toddler on a packed rush hour train makes the idea of being cold called much less daunting. 

I’m onto a whole new era of life! Some of my previous blogs talk about mourning each chapter of my life as it closes, and this one really isn’t any different. I’m simultaneously extremely sad to leave London and my little life here, but also insanely excited for the new life that I have yet to create. I think that’s the fun part; I know I can make literally any life I want happen for myself. I’ve proved it’s possible. 

And who knows! Maybe I’ll return to London one day. I keep saying the wind could blow a certain way and I would end up wherever it takes me. (Some of you may be thinking, “who is this because that is not Kendal Bradley,” and you’d be partially right but that’s what I’m trying to tell you! I’m a new person!) I love London so much I’d never rule out the possibility. 

Anyways, to sum it all up, I loved being 22. And that’s mostly because of you! Whoever you are; whether you’re my family or my friends or an acquaintance or a complete stranger. Thank you for reading my words and making me feel seen and heard and like my tiny, little insignificant existence is actually very significant. It all means more than I could ever fully express.

Cheers to 23 and whatever lies ahead<3