I have been celebrating National Donut Day since 2014 (it’s been around since 1938, and was apparently founded by the Salvation Army), mostly because I took a National Donut Day selfie in 2014 and then took another one in 2015 and realized I had coincidentally worn a black tank top and a silver necklace in both photos.

So, okay, this was a tradition now. In 2016 I continued the black tank top/silver necklace trend, and in 2017 I switched it out for a dress with donuts (and other sweets) on it—which got me my donut for free, though I hadn’t expected that to happen.

By 2017 I had started using National Donut Day as a way to reflect on… um… whatever I needed to reflect on at the moment (look, sometimes it takes traditions a little while to get themselves settled). By 2018 I’d moved from Seattle to Cedar Rapids, and took the first National Donut Day photo where I wasn’t actually holding a donut; there were no local donut shops, and I was not about to celebrate with a gas station donut, so I ate a pecan roll instead.

This year, I missed National Donut Day because I was at a family reunion, but when I flew back to Cedar Rapids I learned that the coffee shop below my apartment had started serving handmade, baked-not-fried donuts (launching on National Donut Day, natch) soooo… I looked at my schedule, decided to observe National Donut Day on the last Friday of the month instead of the first one, and took the annual selfie.

That’s me from ages 32–37, if you’re curious. The first two photos feel like they’re of a person I barely remember being; by photo three I’ve got this confidence that comes with feeling comfortable in my own skin.

In photo four, I’m literally asking myself if the life I’ve built for myself is in fact the life I want; by photo five, I’ve relocated to Cedar Rapids and look much happier (though my eyes clearly reflect that I know a pecan roll doesn’t count).

This morning, I knew I’d look a little tired, since I stayed up two hours later than usual to watch the end of the debates (and then wind down after the end of the debates). I have a lot of thoughts on ALL OF THAT, but I should probably save them for a separate post.

But I also look comfortable in my own skin again, to borrow the cliche. It’s been another year. I’ve eaten another donut. I’m happy to be who I am, and happy to have found a place that feels like home.

The thread is open, y’all. Happy Friday. ❤️