### The Unexpected Journey Update
8 months ago I started a journey, a journey of self discovery, self acceptance, and jumping as far out of my comfort zone as humanly possible in an attempt to find comfort in my own skin. I decided to name it my #unexpectedjourney and made a mental list of some of the things I wanted to do.
While it started as just a few random thoughts, it has turned into something much, much more. It's become a part of me, and my story.. which I decided in that same moment, to share with all of you. The goal being, that *maybe,* just maybe, by putting myself out there and sharing my story it would encourage others to start down their own path of self discovery... to find their better self somewhere along the way.
I realized it would be a good idea to do an update, to self reflect as well as share the process here...* as that was part of the deal.*
**Warning: This is a long one, and mostly just to have a blockchain record as an update for this challenge.. I don't really expect any of you to read it all the way through!**
--- # How it all started [On a train where random thoughts turned into my first "shit post"](https://steemit.com/life/@llfarms/pretty-coffee-and-random-thoughts-on-a-train), which inspired the idea of this journey...
 > Life is a journey that is always changing, evolving and testing your limits. I believe things happen for a reason and that we all fall down from time to time, the important thing is that we get back up. We have all had our trials, errors and made mistakes along the way, I know I have.. but it’s what we learn from those mistakes that makes or breaks us. > It’s about understanding that we are all broken, every single one of us... but how will we put ourselves back together? Will we follow the same pattern as before, or try something new? Make the same mistakes again or maybe make different mistakes, better mistakes? Be the same person we were before, or be the best person we can possibly be? It is our choice after all. > I’ve decided I am going to try something new, step out of my comfort zone and grab life by every beautiful moment that crosses my path. Do things I would never consider doing before, and also take on those things I’ve always wanted to do...but never made the time or had the courage to do. > Life begins when we stop worrying about the what if’s and instead start embracing the right now’s. Let’s embrace the brokenness, stop pretending we are perfect... and instead, start living... > **My Unexpected Journey Starts Here...**
*When will yours begin?*
The idea came due to things that had happened in the last year of my life and realizing that I wanted to do things differently, and what better place than to start with myself? After all, I may not be able to control the world.. but I can control myself and how I respond to the world.. as well as how I interact with it.
--- ### After the inspiration, I decided my goals.. and then somehow came to the crazy conclusion that part of this would be to share it here on Steem, with all of you which became ... # [My Unexpected Journey](https://steemit.com/life/@llfarms/my-unexpected-journey-a-year-of-firsts)
### The Overview > The idea is to be more myself, to explore who I really am and be more confident in my own skin... while also doing things I would never do before, but have maybe always wanted to. To stop worrying about the what if’s and start living… really living. > I somehow in this crazy thought process decided to make Steemit a big part of this journey, to document some of the process here and hopefully convince some of you all to join me on the journey.
### Why Here? > Well, because it is not something I would normally do in the past… I don’t like sharing personal things and don’t really blog much, let alone about myself. So, since this whole thing is about getting out of my comfort zone, sharing on this platform that I have grown to love only seems fitting.
### The Challenge > The idea is to start A Year Of Firsts, I will be sharing a list here (I promise I am almost to the point of this post, stay with me)... not only for the accountability but also to include you beautiful people in my personal journey and hopefully to encourage others to maybe start their own Unexpected Journey. Life is too short to not live it to its fullest.
*Now that you are all up to date, lets take a look at my journey so far and what I can check off my list...*
## My Year Of Firsts To Do List *For me personally, this journey is very much about myself, and growing as a person. To stop worrying so much about what others think, stop pretending I have it all together and just accept that I am a broken human being trying to do the best I can.*
--- # #1. Go To #Steemfest On STEEM
 [source](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@roelandp/save-the-date-steemfest-krakow-poland-7-8-9-10-11-november-hotel-packages-now-available)
> Why Steemfest? Because never in a million years would I ever fly overseas by myself, to a conference to meet individuals that I don’t know in real life ... to talk about a platform based on crypto currencies. I mean really… but not that I didn’t want to, in fact when steemfest was talked about I always wanted to go, but it’s just not something I would do normally. It is *unexpected*...
It was my first Steem Meetup as well as my first solo trip overseas. It will always be one of my most cherished experiences and well, before this "Unexpected Journey" I would have NEVER done such a thing. Heck, I even did my first ever public speaking event there as well.. which in itself is an insane thing for me.
*I mean seriously, who the hell am I?* To me this is a prime example of why this challenge is so beneficial; Once you conquer one of your fears... the next one doesn't seem so scary anymore. Even the whole process of going to SteemFest put me out of my comfort zone and had me doing things I had never done before.. like doing a vlog.. yeah.. first ever video on the internet.. not to mention the first photos of myself going up on Steem. This first goal really ended up accomplishing quite a bit, and even before I got to Krakow.. I felt like I had already grown as an individual.  closing dinner in a salt mine
#### SteemFest Post Highlights:
* [My Blocktrades Ticket Giveaway Entry - Aka FIRST VIDEO EVER](https://steemit.com/blocktradescontest/@llfarms/8uj5d7ox) and [Part Two](https://steemit.com/blocktrades/@llfarms/cfniqoxn) * Road To Steemfest Freewrites which became such a bonding experience - [Three Facts](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-three-random-facts-about-me-week-4), [After Hours](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-after-hours-and-free-time), [The Physical Road](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-the-physical-road), [Fears](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steamfest-fears), and [Breaking The Ice](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-final-week-or-breaking-the-ice). * [Closing Night Snapshots](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/steemfest-3-closing-night-snap-shots) * [Dinner In A Salt Mine - AKA middle earth](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/steemfest-closing-dinner-or-the-wieliczka-salt-mine-photography-adventure) * [My SteemFest Presentation On Curation](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/curation-why-it-s-important-or-steemfest-presentation)
Gosh, there is so much I could write about this one goal as it really was the beginning of it all. I somehow conquered so many of my fears and because of that was able to enjoy an experience I will never forget. Just imagine if I had been to scared to push myself out of my comfort zone? I would have missed out on so, so much. **I think I can proudly say, I kicked this goals ass.**
--- # #2. Travel To Places I Have Never Been
 > This is an easy one right? Everyone wants to travel...not only do I want to explore far off places, but also to take the time to explore the beautiful places around me. To notice the small things and live every day reminding myself of the beauty in the world.
I have been to Steem Meetups, randomly went to foreign countries by myself, and just enjoyed this beautiful world we live in.. and I can't wait to continue this. In fact, I have a long list of places to go and I hope to continue to check them off that list as much as possible. I find not only is it just the travel to see these amazing places full of so much character and history what makes this important, but the people you meet along the way.. as well as the constant adventures.
 My favorite place so far- Belgrade, Serbia
#### Travel Post Highlights:
* [American Girl In Europe](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/american-girl-in-europe-or-belgrade-a-photography-adventure) * [Hidden Beauty Of Belgrade](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/hidden-beauty-of-belgrade-or-minimalist-photography-adventure) * [Belgrade Meet Up - More Than Just A Blockchain](https://steemit.com/community/@llfarms/we-are-building-more-than-just-a-blockchain-or-community-meet-up-belgrade) * [Steem Monsters Rep at Nitron in San Francisco](https://steemit.com/steem/@llfarms/steem-monsters-at-nitron-or-and-why-i-think-steem-stole-the-show) * [Austin Adventures](https://steemit.com/steem/@llfarms/food-friends-and-steem-photos-from-austin) and [More](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/mimosas-at-sunset-more-photos-from-austin-steem-meetup)
Travel doesn't always have to be far away, and sometimes it can't be.. so I always am making a point to just explore in my own area to places I maybe wouldn't normally venture to. This goal I think will be ongoing, but I think I am off to a pretty great start!
--- # #3. Learn Real Photography
 > I have always loved photography and find myself noticing *scenes* I want to capture. While I having been sharing shots that I have taken with my phone (I know, I know… that’s not real photography), I want to learn the art and skills behind photography as well as experiment with film photography and developing my own film.
My camera has become one of my favorite things and I take it with me everywhere. It's become part of a type of "meditation" where I go out searching for unseen beauty, as a way to center myself and force me to focus on the small details that we normally pass by without a second glance. It has allowed me to capture my travels and adventures in ways I would have never been able to as well as finding a hobby that I really enjoy. I have taken *so* many photos and also shared them here on Steem.... too many to even keep track of (including many of the posts I linked above) as well as even trying my hand at some street photography! Nothing like pushing an introvert to go take pictures of random people to really get them to live outside their comfort zone. You can scroll my blog to get a good idea of how photography, and this goal, have really taken over my life a bit .. but I will share some of my favorites... 
 #### Photography Post Highlights:
* [Get Lost With Me | Forest Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/get-lost-with-me-or-forest-photography-adventure-featuring-music-by-poor-mans-poison) * [From The Depths Of My Soul | Experimental Art Adventure](https://steemit.com/art/@llfarms/from-the-depths-of-my-soul-or-experimental-art) * [Hauntingly Beautiful | A Foggy Morning Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/hauntingly-beautiful-or-a-foggy-photography-adventure) * [Life's Not Always Beautiful | An Uninspiring Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photomag/@llfarms/life-s-not-always-beautiful-or-uninspiring-photography-post) * [Discovering Hidden Beauty In History Places | Belgrade](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/discovering-unseen-beauty-in-historical-places-or-kalemegdan-photography-adventure) * [Belgrade Street Photography](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/american-girl-in-europe-or-faces-of-belgrade-street-photography-adventure) * [March Of The Lady Birds](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/march-of-the-lady-birds-or-photo-album)
This is another goal I feel like I have fully embraced, even though I have a long way to go. I am shooting in full manual mode and learning more and more each day... plus it's something I *really* enjoy. *Mission Accomplished.*
--- # #4. Take Self Portraits
 [source](https://500px.com/photo/9270113/b-w-by-olga-gabsattarova) > *This one is the least likely to happen* hahaha... I hate taking my own photo (the first one up there took me hours to convince myself to post). I just don’t like it, I am uncomfortable and awkward and quite frankly feel like a fool posting photos of myself. Sooo what better thing to do to get myself out of my comfort zone?? And hopefully helping me to be more comfortable in my own skin… or just embarrass myself, it could go either way.
> **Now, I don’t mean selfies!!** Selfies will never be a part of my daily life... BUT using yourself as part of your artwork to evoke a certain emotion I think is beautiful.. there are many photographers that do it well on this platform and I am going to *try* to get comfortable in this… I can’t promise anything on this one though.
What I realized though is that when my love for photography started to flourish (see previous goal above), this part just came naturally. I find that self portraits are not only a form of self expression but they also are an amazing way to practice your photography skills. It makes you notice lighting, movement and also prepares you to take portraits of *other* people.. who knew?! So, I started not only taking self portraits but also sharing them on Steem. Why? Because I hated it. I felt exposed and just not comfortable with it at all.. I hated photos of myself and even more, hated posting them on the internet. Which is why my face can be found all over my blog now.. ha. What I can say now is that I am more comfortable in my skin, just by doing these... even when I don't post them.. there is something about self portraits that just makes begin to accept yourself, it's really hard to explain. Sure I have had amazing compliments here from those I post, and that is lovely and sweet... but it's not about that.. it's that now I can see a photo of myself and not only accept it, but appreciate it.. and that is leaps and bounds from where I was before.  My first self portrait, ever.
#### Self Portrait Post Highlights:
* [Self Portrait Challenge](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/self-portrait-photography-or-unexpected-journey-challenge) * [Taking Your Own Headshots](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/adventures-in-trying-to-take-your-own-headshots-or-randomness)
I actually have used Self Portraits in many posts and even use them as a way of self expression... **So, I like to think this one is also a win.**
--- # #5. Share My Story
 > There have been many events in my life that have made me who I am, flaws and all… but someone (*yes my Mother*) seems to think that sharing some of these experiences might help someone else who is in the same shoes.
I get it, I have benefited from reading many stories of people’s personal struggles and triumphs. I think it makes you realize you aren’t alone in this struggle and that other people have been where you are.. that is important.
While I don’t think I am a good writer/blogger/inspirational speaker, I plan to share more… and try to express those things through blogging here. **If it inspires one person it will be worth it.**
This one I am mixed on. I have *shared* things... I have been open and honest and expressed my thoughts and feelings, but haven't really shared "My Story." I honestly am not sure how that would even go or if just sharing bits of pieces of me is sharing "my story." So we will say that this is still in process, and I will try to share a bit more... in some way, in the future. But I feel like I have found some way of self expression here.. usually involving some form of photography mixed with a free write style of posting that shares parts of me while being pretty raw and honest... but always of
--- # How it all started [On a train where random thoughts turned into my first "shit post"](https://steemit.com/life/@llfarms/pretty-coffee-and-random-thoughts-on-a-train), which inspired the idea of this journey...
 > Life is a journey that is always changing, evolving and testing your limits. I believe things happen for a reason and that we all fall down from time to time, the important thing is that we get back up. We have all had our trials, errors and made mistakes along the way, I know I have.. but it’s what we learn from those mistakes that makes or breaks us. > It’s about understanding that we are all broken, every single one of us... but how will we put ourselves back together? Will we follow the same pattern as before, or try something new? Make the same mistakes again or maybe make different mistakes, better mistakes? Be the same person we were before, or be the best person we can possibly be? It is our choice after all. > I’ve decided I am going to try something new, step out of my comfort zone and grab life by every beautiful moment that crosses my path. Do things I would never consider doing before, and also take on those things I’ve always wanted to do...but never made the time or had the courage to do. > Life begins when we stop worrying about the what if’s and instead start embracing the right now’s. Let’s embrace the brokenness, stop pretending we are perfect... and instead, start living... > **My Unexpected Journey Starts Here...**
*When will yours begin?*
The idea came due to things that had happened in the last year of my life and realizing that I wanted to do things differently, and what better place than to start with myself? After all, I may not be able to control the world.. but I can control myself and how I respond to the world.. as well as how I interact with it.
--- ### After the inspiration, I decided my goals.. and then somehow came to the crazy conclusion that part of this would be to share it here on Steem, with all of you which became ... # [My Unexpected Journey](https://steemit.com/life/@llfarms/my-unexpected-journey-a-year-of-firsts)
### The Overview > The idea is to be more myself, to explore who I really am and be more confident in my own skin... while also doing things I would never do before, but have maybe always wanted to. To stop worrying about the what if’s and start living… really living. > I somehow in this crazy thought process decided to make Steemit a big part of this journey, to document some of the process here and hopefully convince some of you all to join me on the journey.
### Why Here? > Well, because it is not something I would normally do in the past… I don’t like sharing personal things and don’t really blog much, let alone about myself. So, since this whole thing is about getting out of my comfort zone, sharing on this platform that I have grown to love only seems fitting.
### The Challenge > The idea is to start A Year Of Firsts, I will be sharing a list here (I promise I am almost to the point of this post, stay with me)... not only for the accountability but also to include you beautiful people in my personal journey and hopefully to encourage others to maybe start their own Unexpected Journey. Life is too short to not live it to its fullest.
*Now that you are all up to date, lets take a look at my journey so far and what I can check off my list...*
## My Year Of Firsts To Do List *For me personally, this journey is very much about myself, and growing as a person. To stop worrying so much about what others think, stop pretending I have it all together and just accept that I am a broken human being trying to do the best I can.*
--- # #1. Go To #Steemfest On STEEM
 [source](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@roelandp/save-the-date-steemfest-krakow-poland-7-8-9-10-11-november-hotel-packages-now-available)
> Why Steemfest? Because never in a million years would I ever fly overseas by myself, to a conference to meet individuals that I don’t know in real life ... to talk about a platform based on crypto currencies. I mean really… but not that I didn’t want to, in fact when steemfest was talked about I always wanted to go, but it’s just not something I would do normally. It is *unexpected*...
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmd6TaRp23eevs6pb7eg4YATPwVs5dUjJU5S827ctnTbqU/small%20check.jpg
Yep! I checked this one off my list!! Not only did I go to Steemfest but due to some amazing support I received from posting, I raised enough STEEM to cover the cost of the trip (well before the price crashed :D) and made some amazing personal connections there as well.
It was my first Steem Meetup as well as my first solo trip overseas. It will always be one of my most cherished experiences and well, before this "Unexpected Journey" I would have NEVER done such a thing. Heck, I even did my first ever public speaking event there as well.. which in itself is an insane thing for me.
*I mean seriously, who the hell am I?* To me this is a prime example of why this challenge is so beneficial; Once you conquer one of your fears... the next one doesn't seem so scary anymore. Even the whole process of going to SteemFest put me out of my comfort zone and had me doing things I had never done before.. like doing a vlog.. yeah.. first ever video on the internet.. not to mention the first photos of myself going up on Steem. This first goal really ended up accomplishing quite a bit, and even before I got to Krakow.. I felt like I had already grown as an individual.  closing dinner in a salt mine
#### SteemFest Post Highlights:
* [My Blocktrades Ticket Giveaway Entry - Aka FIRST VIDEO EVER](https://steemit.com/blocktradescontest/@llfarms/8uj5d7ox) and [Part Two](https://steemit.com/blocktrades/@llfarms/cfniqoxn) * Road To Steemfest Freewrites which became such a bonding experience - [Three Facts](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-three-random-facts-about-me-week-4), [After Hours](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-after-hours-and-free-time), [The Physical Road](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-the-physical-road), [Fears](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steamfest-fears), and [Breaking The Ice](https://steemit.com/roadtosteemfest/@llfarms/road-to-steemfest-final-week-or-breaking-the-ice). * [Closing Night Snapshots](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/steemfest-3-closing-night-snap-shots) * [Dinner In A Salt Mine - AKA middle earth](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/steemfest-closing-dinner-or-the-wieliczka-salt-mine-photography-adventure) * [My SteemFest Presentation On Curation](https://steemit.com/steemfest/@llfarms/curation-why-it-s-important-or-steemfest-presentation)
Gosh, there is so much I could write about this one goal as it really was the beginning of it all. I somehow conquered so many of my fears and because of that was able to enjoy an experience I will never forget. Just imagine if I had been to scared to push myself out of my comfort zone? I would have missed out on so, so much. **I think I can proudly say, I kicked this goals ass.**
--- # #2. Travel To Places I Have Never Been
 > This is an easy one right? Everyone wants to travel...not only do I want to explore far off places, but also to take the time to explore the beautiful places around me. To notice the small things and live every day reminding myself of the beauty in the world.
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmd6TaRp23eevs6pb7eg4YATPwVs5dUjJU5S827ctnTbqU/small%20check.jpg
Check! Just in the last 8 months I have traveled to multiple countries, as well as cities around the United States that I have never been before, and never planned on going to.
I have been to Steem Meetups, randomly went to foreign countries by myself, and just enjoyed this beautiful world we live in.. and I can't wait to continue this. In fact, I have a long list of places to go and I hope to continue to check them off that list as much as possible. I find not only is it just the travel to see these amazing places full of so much character and history what makes this important, but the people you meet along the way.. as well as the constant adventures.
 My favorite place so far- Belgrade, Serbia
#### Travel Post Highlights:
* [American Girl In Europe](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/american-girl-in-europe-or-belgrade-a-photography-adventure) * [Hidden Beauty Of Belgrade](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/hidden-beauty-of-belgrade-or-minimalist-photography-adventure) * [Belgrade Meet Up - More Than Just A Blockchain](https://steemit.com/community/@llfarms/we-are-building-more-than-just-a-blockchain-or-community-meet-up-belgrade) * [Steem Monsters Rep at Nitron in San Francisco](https://steemit.com/steem/@llfarms/steem-monsters-at-nitron-or-and-why-i-think-steem-stole-the-show) * [Austin Adventures](https://steemit.com/steem/@llfarms/food-friends-and-steem-photos-from-austin) and [More](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/mimosas-at-sunset-more-photos-from-austin-steem-meetup)
Travel doesn't always have to be far away, and sometimes it can't be.. so I always am making a point to just explore in my own area to places I maybe wouldn't normally venture to. This goal I think will be ongoing, but I think I am off to a pretty great start!
--- # #3. Learn Real Photography
 > I have always loved photography and find myself noticing *scenes* I want to capture. While I having been sharing shots that I have taken with my phone (I know, I know… that’s not real photography), I want to learn the art and skills behind photography as well as experiment with film photography and developing my own film.
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmd6TaRp23eevs6pb7eg4YATPwVs5dUjJU5S827ctnTbqU/small%20check.jpg
Ah, this has probably been my favorite one so far. I have always been so drawn to photography but was just too self conscious and worried about not being good at it, that I didn't even bother. So, for this goal I went out and bought a camera and just started doing it.
My camera has become one of my favorite things and I take it with me everywhere. It's become part of a type of "meditation" where I go out searching for unseen beauty, as a way to center myself and force me to focus on the small details that we normally pass by without a second glance. It has allowed me to capture my travels and adventures in ways I would have never been able to as well as finding a hobby that I really enjoy. I have taken *so* many photos and also shared them here on Steem.... too many to even keep track of (including many of the posts I linked above) as well as even trying my hand at some street photography! Nothing like pushing an introvert to go take pictures of random people to really get them to live outside their comfort zone. You can scroll my blog to get a good idea of how photography, and this goal, have really taken over my life a bit .. but I will share some of my favorites... 
 #### Photography Post Highlights:
* [Get Lost With Me | Forest Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/get-lost-with-me-or-forest-photography-adventure-featuring-music-by-poor-mans-poison) * [From The Depths Of My Soul | Experimental Art Adventure](https://steemit.com/art/@llfarms/from-the-depths-of-my-soul-or-experimental-art) * [Hauntingly Beautiful | A Foggy Morning Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/hauntingly-beautiful-or-a-foggy-photography-adventure) * [Life's Not Always Beautiful | An Uninspiring Photography Adventure](https://steemit.com/photomag/@llfarms/life-s-not-always-beautiful-or-uninspiring-photography-post) * [Discovering Hidden Beauty In History Places | Belgrade](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/discovering-unseen-beauty-in-historical-places-or-kalemegdan-photography-adventure) * [Belgrade Street Photography](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/american-girl-in-europe-or-faces-of-belgrade-street-photography-adventure) * [March Of The Lady Birds](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/march-of-the-lady-birds-or-photo-album)
This is another goal I feel like I have fully embraced, even though I have a long way to go. I am shooting in full manual mode and learning more and more each day... plus it's something I *really* enjoy. *Mission Accomplished.*
--- # #4. Take Self Portraits
 [source](https://500px.com/photo/9270113/b-w-by-olga-gabsattarova) > *This one is the least likely to happen* hahaha... I hate taking my own photo (the first one up there took me hours to convince myself to post). I just don’t like it, I am uncomfortable and awkward and quite frankly feel like a fool posting photos of myself. Sooo what better thing to do to get myself out of my comfort zone?? And hopefully helping me to be more comfortable in my own skin… or just embarrass myself, it could go either way.
> **Now, I don’t mean selfies!!** Selfies will never be a part of my daily life... BUT using yourself as part of your artwork to evoke a certain emotion I think is beautiful.. there are many photographers that do it well on this platform and I am going to *try* to get comfortable in this… I can’t promise anything on this one though.
https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmd6TaRp23eevs6pb7eg4YATPwVs5dUjJU5S827ctnTbqU/small%20check.jpg
This one makes me really laugh, as I felt this is the goal that I would never achieve and didn't really even see the point in it.. other than it was pretty much the thing that made me the **most** uncomfortable. Seeing that pushing myself to do something like that would help with my confidence as well as other things... I felt like it was worth a push.
What I realized though is that when my love for photography started to flourish (see previous goal above), this part just came naturally. I find that self portraits are not only a form of self expression but they also are an amazing way to practice your photography skills. It makes you notice lighting, movement and also prepares you to take portraits of *other* people.. who knew?! So, I started not only taking self portraits but also sharing them on Steem. Why? Because I hated it. I felt exposed and just not comfortable with it at all.. I hated photos of myself and even more, hated posting them on the internet. Which is why my face can be found all over my blog now.. ha. What I can say now is that I am more comfortable in my skin, just by doing these... even when I don't post them.. there is something about self portraits that just makes begin to accept yourself, it's really hard to explain. Sure I have had amazing compliments here from those I post, and that is lovely and sweet... but it's not about that.. it's that now I can see a photo of myself and not only accept it, but appreciate it.. and that is leaps and bounds from where I was before.  My first self portrait, ever.
#### Self Portrait Post Highlights:
* [Self Portrait Challenge](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/self-portrait-photography-or-unexpected-journey-challenge) * [Taking Your Own Headshots](https://steemit.com/photography/@llfarms/adventures-in-trying-to-take-your-own-headshots-or-randomness)
I actually have used Self Portraits in many posts and even use them as a way of self expression... **So, I like to think this one is also a win.**
--- # #5. Share My Story
 > There have been many events in my life that have made me who I am, flaws and all… but someone (*yes my Mother*) seems to think that sharing some of these experiences might help someone else who is in the same shoes.
I get it, I have benefited from reading many stories of people’s personal struggles and triumphs. I think it makes you realize you aren’t alone in this struggle and that other people have been where you are.. that is important.
While I don’t think I am a good writer/blogger/inspirational speaker, I plan to share more… and try to express those things through blogging here. **If it inspires one person it will be worth it.**
This one I am mixed on. I have *shared* things... I have been open and honest and expressed my thoughts and feelings, but haven't really shared "My Story." I honestly am not sure how that would even go or if just sharing bits of pieces of me is sharing "my story." So we will say that this is still in process, and I will try to share a bit more... in some way, in the future. But I feel like I have found some way of self expression here.. usually involving some form of photography mixed with a free write style of posting that shares parts of me while being pretty raw and honest... but always of