What’s next?

Hi!

Listen. If you’ve been around for a while, you know we’ve been through a lot.

The reader. The writer. The bookseller. The cheerleader. The hype girl. The introvert. The forced extrovert. The creator. The book lover.

And you know what? All of those things are absolutely a part of me. There’s never been a moment of feeling untrue to myself, or an imposter. Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true. I know the doubt creeps in for all of us, but I have been so happy in the online book community with whatever hat I was wearing at the time.

Wander Bound Book Shop was a beautiful journey for me, one that I am so grateful I got to have. I’m so grateful that I had the chance to meet so many of you, to laugh with you, to gush over books together. To FEEL together. But somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling the happy and started getting swallowed by the consuming and the overwhelming. I have always struggled with the business side of a social media page. The “Hey! Look at this! Come buy my stuff!” has never sat well with me. Whereas, when I have a social media as a way to express, create, and connect, I am happier.

My sister and I were talking the other day. When she brought up the closing of Wander Bound, and I responded that I was so relieved, do you want to know what she said?

She said she was proud of me.

As a chronic self shamer, I didn’t know I needed to hear that until the words were said aloud. She’s proud of me. Because I did it. I know I can do it.

I had these experiences with the book shop over the last year to prepare me for something bigger, I just know it. Months ago, when I thought to myself “What do I want to be doing in five years?”, the answer was clear. I don’t want to be running the bookshop in five years.

I want to be a few books deep into publishing my own stories, with more on the way. I want to be connecting with readers in that sacred way that only a reader who has been deeply impacted by a story written by another human being can connect. I want to write stories full of love and magic and tragedy. I want to express my own insecurities, my trials and heartache, my soul with others in a way that makes people stop and think, “You know what, I feel that way sometimes too.”

We’re all human. We all go through shit sometimes. Alternatively, we all have the ability to FEEL and to love.

So here I am. Just a girl screaming into the void, asking you, dear reader, to stay around and give me a chance as a writer. I think we’re in for quite the adventure.

All my love,

Aubrey