If You Don't Know Where To Start, Start Here.
a new place to call home
It always starts with an introduction… some by yours truly, some by first impressions, some by judgments, and some by the preconceived notions of what once was.
I don't know how many times I've created an introduction post about me—whether it was on the many websites I've made for myself, applications, Instagram posts, or even the pep talks I give myself before I meet people. Wanting to be this version of myself that I'm not quite sure I even know.
Today's introduction, for my very first post on Substack, feels as confusing as this last chapter of my life, yet somehow like the right thing to do.
To be honest, I'm still in the weeds, navigating how to even use this platform. I'm not fully sure what this email will look like when you receive it—if it matches my aesthetic that I’ve spent too much time perfecting, or if you’ll even be able to read this full entry. We'll find out together.
This introduction doesn’t feel like it wants to be about my entire journey. It’s been a long one, and there's a time and place to share that. This one feels like it wants to be about who I am right now in this moment—not who I want you to believe I am.
I'm fragile.
I'm relearning myself.
And when I say relearning, I really do mean that. I’ve surface-level learned who I am over the years—and even on the surface, there is great depth—but what I’ve been met with in this last season of my life is a part of me I have absolutely no idea what to do with.
A part of me that feels so deeply, feeling alone feels wrong.
A part of me that senses lifetimes before mine and can feel others before they even speak.
An empath, one might call it.
But aside from that, I know there’s more underneath. I’ve been patiently twiddling my thumbs, wondering what to do with this new information, getting so attached to it needing to look a certain way. The anticipation of sharing words had me tangled up in myself.
Until now.
Until today.
There’s plenty I intend on sharing here—as an advocate for your body, as a student of mine, and with real tools that go far beyond the diets and the exercises. I want to share with you the parts that aren’t so glamorous—the growth that hurt, the discomfort, maybe even some moments that feel a lot cringe. I want this to be something you can relate to, if it resonates. A space where you feel safe reading, taking in what feels important, and maybe returning later to what doesn’t quite land just yet.
This is a place for you to exhale, to uncover, and to rediscover. I feel excited to share, and a little hesitant to be as vocal as I feel is necessary.
There’s no time like the present.
We start here, together.
Thank you for reading :)
Ari