I have recently been on a writing hiatus for almost two years. My busy schedule has taken me away from doing the thing that I love most. Fortunately, I'm back with my own website. My first post was all about "what to do when you don't know what to do." I'm still getting the hang of things in terms of how to create proper SEO patterns, formatting the site, and much more. It is incredibly anxiety-inducing but worth it. I had the comfort of having been an editor on Odyssey and being able to ensure posts weren't published with grammar mishaps.

Nonetheless, nothing worth it happens inside your comfort zone, so I decided to make a huge leap outside of mine. Odyssey Online helped me out of a major emotional slump in my life. I was looking for something to help me find myself and make sense of what I was going through. Odyssey forced me to untangle my mind and put it into words. I am forever grateful. Being able to write about what I wanted, with a group of people behind me and supporting me, was precisely what I needed. Without you all, I wouldn't be where I am now.

I have two posts on my website: LeafTaleTherapy.com that I started a couple of weeks ago. Here's a little bit of background on the name:

It all piggy-backed off the term, retail therapy and my nickname, "SydLeaf." My first name is Sydney, my middle name is Leigh, and my last name is Friedman. Combining all of the names together in a concise manner, you get Syd-Leigh-F.

For a while, it was my username for most of my social media accounts. My friends still call me by it, but since shortened to Leaf. I eventually became LeaftailTherapy on my Instagram, posting about my favorite skincare and beauty products. I started the account when I was going through a break-up. There's nothing better than good old fashioned retail therapy when you're down in the dumps. (For those of you who may not know, retail therapy is the act of shopping to make yourself feel happier) During my junior year of college, when I started writing and created my Instagram account, I just so happened to live above Sephora. I put my nickname and my love of shopping together and voilà: Leaftail Therapy.

When I decided to come out with my own website, I wanted to "re-brand." My focus wasn't on products anymore, but my love of writing and all things creative. I have earned a makeup certification, pastry certification and journalism degree in the two years I have been gone from Odyssey. Instead of posting specifically about retail products, I wanted to emphasize my love of telling "tales" ranging from all different subjects.

So here I am, back in the game and doing what I love most. I have all of you to thank for that. My life changed for the better, and I started on a path I never thought possible. I was inspired to take leaps, be honest, and lead my life with transparency. Most importantly, Odyssey showed me how to be courageous when I didn't know how. The Butterfly Effect is real, and mine started with you. I will always be partial to the website that allowed me to create my present and spark my dreams for the future.