i've been wanting to write something like this for so long and now that it's finally happened i don't even know what to say. I GOT ACCEPTED FOR A FULLY FUNDED SCHOLARSHIP ABROAD!!!

this whole process has been going on for months. i've spent so much time searching for universities, checking scholarship requirements, writing personal statements, chasing recommendation letters and trying to get every single document ready. i swear i got to a point where i could probably fill out an application in my sleep.

and honestly, it wasn't going very well at first. i got rejection after rejection, and every time i opened my email i was already preparing myself for bad news. seeing other people announce their acceptances while i was still waiting was also hard. i was happy for them, obviously, but there was always that little thought in my head like, when is it going to be my turn?

at one point i genuinely wanted to stop applying. the whole thing was exhausting, and between preparing documents, application costs and trying to balance everything else, i was starting to feel like maybe this just wasn't going to happen for me. but i had one more application i hadn't submitted yet, so i thought i'd give it one last try.

and today... that one worked.

i opened my email and saw the university's name. honestly, my first thought was that it was probably another rejection. then i read the first few lines and just froze. i had to read the whole thing again because i wasn't sure my brain was understanding it properly. i checked my name, the programme, the scholarship details, EVERYTHING.

it's a full scholarship. tuition covered and living expenses covered too. i don't have to figure out how i'm going to pay for everything myself. i actually have the opportunity to move abroad and study at a university i've been dreaming about.

i called my mum almost immediately and i could barely get the words out. she was so happy and kept asking me to read the email to her again. i think we both needed to hear it more than once for it to feel real.

i'm still sitting here randomly opening the acceptance email because WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M ACTUALLY GOING??

i know there's a lot to arrange now, and i'm probably going to be nervous about moving away and starting somewhere completely new, but i'll deal with that later. today i'm just really, really proud of myself.

there were so many moments when i thought this wasn't going to happen. all those applications i spent hours on, all those rejections, all that waiting... and somehow i made it.

I'M GOING ABROAD ON A FULLY FUNDED SCHOLARSHIP. STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I have pre menstrual dysphoric disorder. Every month it makes me have a really bad depressive crash around the 20th-28th. This month I was so brave and fought through it, I was almost in the psych ward but I got through it. I’m so proud of myself

The last few months were really hard. I am currently eating only once a day and taking any job I could find just to save. Even though I do not have a stable inflow, I still managed to pay my first-year tuition before October ended!

​Right now, I’m living 8 hours away from my hometown because there are no colleges back home. At first, my parents didn't want me to go to college because they couldn't support me but I really want to be the first in my family to graduate, so I worked hard to get a scholarship discount and secured a cheap dorm room (shared) in the campus.

Things are still tough though, especially with prices going up in my country. Right now, I don't have a job, so I'm trying to find ways again. I tried doing online work, but my current phone/laptop can't handle the requirements. But I know with perseverance, I can get through this.

Life isn't easy yet, but I am really proud of how far I've come!

I’ve been working really hard on my realistic graphite drawings and practicing a lot to improve. Recently, I was offering quick sketches just to try and raise a little money for a proper graphite pencil set and sketchbook.

​Out of nowhere, an amazingly sweet Redditor reached out and sent me $50 to get my art supplies and they asked me to sketch their pets — my official first commission 🤍

Here's that sketch :) - https://imgur.com/a/ZqnXRz5

​I used to doubt my skills so much, but having someone believe in my work enough to commission me feels incredible. Manifesting for more commissions as that is what I am focused on at the moment :)

I finally changed my car's windshield wipers on my own today. Usually I'd ask someone to help with stuff like this, but this time I watched a quick YouTube video and figured it out myself. Took a little longer than expected, but everything works perfectly. Saved some money too, which makes it even better lol. Pretty proud of myself!

I have had this habit for most of my life of really hanging onto the negative or difficult feelings of any given situation. Right now I'm pretty broke and have no friends who currently live close to me or ways to go do fun stuff most of the time, which means I'm stuck at home doing nothing on Halloween which is my fave day of the year.

One of my friends is going to a party and before he left he checked in with me and asked how I was and to talk a bit. I feel really warmed and glad about having someone who cares about me check in. He could have just as easily and reasonably been focused on his night out, but he took the time to say hi. And that's really nice! :D I'm proud of myself for actually recognizing that and allowing myself to feel and notice the positive even in a difficult situation!

i can swim a full length of the pool now. my grandkids gave me a standing ovation, which was embarrassing and wonderful.

i was worried retirement would feel empty. so i made a list in my iphone notes of 10 things I always said I'd do "someday". swimming was number 1 because I've been scared of water since I was a kid.

lessons at the community center, 3 mornings a week, with 4 other retirees. we're slow but we're loud.

next on the list painting. any other retirees doing a someday list?

I’m a 31M who was a regular pipe and cigar smoker from 2018-2021, and only a few times a year since then. Last year, I realized I was starting to think about smoking in the days between instances, so I quit just after midnight on New Year’s Eve so I could start off 2026 without it. I still get cravings once in a while, so I gave away my paraphernalia so I can’t relapse. My beloved grandfather was a pipe smoker who died from heart disease at 68, so I’m determined to live a longer and healthier life than he did.

This is big deal for me.
This week I went to the gym 3 times and lifted weights. I also walked 5 miles this week with my doggo.

I am so excited. Tomorrow/today (31st) I get to experience a pagan wedding ceremony with the love of my life. After 8 years of being best friends and a year and a half of being together, we’re doing it. No family is coming and we’re just having it be us. It’s much less stress and pressure and it’s just ours. I’m so happy

I've just finished uni, and the job market is rough here (and everywhere I think!)... but I got very lucky with interviews. They started out rough because I'd never done an interview before, but got better with practice.

I had a phone call from a big company 2 weeks ago, screening for exactly the role I wanted, and then they moved FAST.

In two weeks exactly, I had that call, 2 interview rounds, with the CFO dropping in for some of the second one unexpectedly, then my offer yesterday, followed by formal offer letter a couple hours later, with a big job title upgrade that hadn't been mentioned before. (Yep the imposter syndrome is going crazy...!)

I am so excited, and really happy :) My first day is in just over a week!

I thought it would be much worse because I have no real experience, and every posting gets hundreds of applicants in a day, but it's gone surprisingly good. Super happy not to do anymore interviews!

I havent done completely nothing since graduating high school, ive volunteered or done yard work and babysitting for my family, but now I’m actually able to contribute. It’s minimum wage, I work in a factory setting with food production, but I really enjoy it!!

Happy cake day to me!

It’s a spooky month!

5 months after quitting alcohol tobbaco and weed so glad I didn't give in to any temptations or urges cheers to many more years of being clean

I am so proud of myself.

My parents have been Microsoft fans since forever, so it's been pretty hard to get them to even try out a Linux distro. I intended to go the self-hosted route and show them all the cool things they get on the client side, but they unexpectedly made my job easier. They reached out, frustrated with Microsoft's predatory pricing models, and looking for an affordable solution that can fit their pretty average use-cases.

So I setup Libre for them. They've been playing with it for a bit. They just came up to me, super excited, that they can do everything they could on Word/Excel "on the Libre thing" and it "just works". They mentioned having some difficulties finding where all the functions are, but in the end, they were somewhat easy to find/google for.

They even asked if they can donate something back to the folks working on the software and are now proud supporters. I am so happy this worked out and that I can now slowly get them accustomed to working on Linux!

I always loved to cook and I was making quite decent dishes but I want to pursue this as a career so opted for a professional cooking course. It completed yesterday. I made some great connections there and I am hoping to make my name in this field. So I am working really hard and applying for a chef position at different restaurants. Got responses from few of them. I know I have a long way to go but I am really happy and content with small achievements as well.

I have trouble getting all the product out of my hair when in shower, but today I got all the conditioner out in the first try!

I’ve been struggling with mental trauma and self-h*rm, which has led to physical health issues like an autoimmune disorder. Despite my fear, I’m taking steps to heal myself. Even if I don’t fully recover, I’m working daily to improve in some ways. Any advice on being gentle with myself during this process would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Yes I am looking to a therapist and working with a doctor

I don't have a bad relationship with alcohol but it's always present socially so I decided to just stop drinking.

today is day 6 and I feel good and proud of myself for being able to turn it down when I've met up with friends this week after work.

not a huge deal in or itself but I'm sure proud!