Hello from the other side…

I’m Alyssa, the girl on the other side of this blog you’ve stumbled across. I created this space to help you harness the power of pursuing joy in all facets of life.

(Sorry for the super cheesy Adele reference. But, the good news is if you were able to make it through my terrible joke, you’re here to stick it out for the long haul.)

Alyssa is laughing with her eyes closed. She’s wearing a black and white dress with a black sun hat

Say we meet in real life.

 
Alyssa is at the table with a black cup of coffee

Preferably over coffee, please.

HERE’S WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU.

Having lived with a disability since the day I was born, I am no stranger to the challenges life brings. Life is hard, and I’m not here to sugarcoat that…

an aerial view of a glass of iced coffee

Say we meet in real life.

(Preferably over coffee, please.)

HERE’S WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU.

Having lived with a disability since the day I was born, I am no stranger to the challenges life brings. Life is hard, and I’m not here to sugarcoat that.

 

But… you see… my journey to pursuing joy didn’t begin the moment these challenges ended. It began the moment I decided to live in spite of them.

This is what I want to encourage you to be in pursuit of—a life in which you recognize that no matter how complicated things may appear, you are stronger than you think, more than you give yourself credit for, and always welcome to let joy in.

From my own experiences with joy, pain, and the everyday mundane, I know firsthand just how capable you are of pursuing a life where there is space to live in your truest potential. So, the words and art you’ll see across this space are all inspired by my own little discoveries and stories of trials and triumphs that will (I surely hope) help YOU on your own journey.

 
read the blog button
alyssa is smiling outside
my diagnosis button
 
 

My Happy List

—a very short list of things that fill my heart and give me lots of warm, sunshiny goodness on the inside.

  1. Slow mornings with a cup of coffee

  2. Time cherished with family

  3. Autumn days when the air is crisp and leaves are golden

  4. Moments where I feel truly present

  5. Deep conversations with friends

  6. My two dopey golden retrievers

  7. Discovering new coffee shops and becoming a regular

  8. Stumbling across words that eloquently describe how I’m feeling when I can’t seem to make sense of things

Alyssa and her black dog are smiling outside with trees behind them