My Last POV

Dear readers,

These past couple of weeks, my incredibly uncanny procrastination and fear of change have gone hand in hand. I’ve never liked routine, and no matter how hard I try to keep on track with a schedule, I just can’t seem to follow through.  Still, the one thing that I did manage to constantly keep up with was my weekly POV on whatever was trending, bothering me, or inspired me. My sense of adventure peaked as I typed my 600 words on the same keyboard week after week. Meditation has never been my thing, but I now realize that sometimes “om” doesn’t have to come from sitting with your legs crossed on the floor while zen music plays in the background and the scent of essential oils mixes with your thoughts. I found my “om.” My “om” looked a little like sitting on my sofa after lighting a rose scented candle, listening to “Tennessee Whiskey,” with a sweatshirt on as I typed away on my computer.  

When I was offered to begin writing my POV, I wanted to graduate high school, go to college and become a surgeon. I then wanted to study public health. And finally, I found my voice while writing my POV every week. I wanted to become a writer. My words just seemed to flow when I had my instruments around me. I became infatuated with the words I wrote, I grew inspired by the things I lived, and I became in love with the person I was becoming when I started writing for HipLatina. I wrote words that people related to. I shared my deepest fears with this community, and I shared my biggest highlights with my readers. I found my voice when no words could come out of my mouth. This became my greatest journey, my journal, my diary. You became my greatest confidant. 

But part of a writer’s best work is an amazing plot twist. Just as you’ve watched me grow up and you’ve shared your love with me, HipLatina has grown as well, and I’m incredibly proud of what this community has become. It’s become a place for Latina women like me and you to start a conversation, about beauty, health, cooking, and some teenager’s point of view. Change has always been a taboo for me, but it’s something that comes with time, and I must learn to accept. And since I’m not a terrible person and I don’t want to leave you on a cliffhanger, I want to thank you. Thank you for sharing my articles and for allowing me to give you advice (that you never thought you needed from a 17-year-old). And thank you for supporting the voice that I never thought I had. I’ve had incredible experiences through my writing, and becoming a collaborator for HipLatina gave me an opportunity I never thought I would get. It pushed me closer to what writing would later mean to me. So, as I embark on this new journey, I ask you to never stop thriving for more, to fight for what you love, and most importantly—don’t be afraid of change. This is not the last of me, I can assure you that; this is the beginning of something new, and I invite you to come with me. So, in my POV: Tennessee Whiskey fades out, I uncross my legs and press save. I blow out my candle and smile at the screen. 

Thank you for reading me, you’ll hear from me soon enough.

Love, Lola