Lexi Likes is now five years old.
That’s five years of chronicling the evolution of me as a
writer and me as a person. It's something in which I take great pride.
I have spent almost a third of my existence writing Lexi Likes, with content
ranging from my sweet fashion musings as a peppy thirteen year old to the
hopefully more considered views on life and the challenges it poses for a
young woman in this complex age.
I’m now at a crossroads. Like many of my peers, I’m
transitioning from the relatively cosseted world of school to.…..well, I’m not
quite sure. My future remains uncertain, as does everyone's with the shadow of results day hanging over Summer.
It’s has been long few months. Actually, it's been a
long year. Upper Sixth, the final year of school in the UK, was
tough. It's hard to anticipate until you are in it. Everyone seems to recall the
agony of their final school year but it's not something you fully
understand until you're doing it yourself. The exhaustion of the university
application process, the lead up to A-levels plus the exams themselves, all mixed in
with the antics that come with being young and trying to work out exactly where in this world you want to be.
Sound angsty? It was.
I'd like to think I held myself together pretty well
but I'm also not afraid to admit that I got hit by a few curve balls. While this was
the year I strengthened my most valuable friendships and had many good
times, it's also probably been the hardest year of my life. The simple
yet deeply disorientating lesson is that not everything in life goes to
plan. I've learnt I do not respond well to the surrendering of control.
I've learnt what it feels like to want something with all of your heart and not get
it. I’ve learnt to deal with burning disappointment. I’ve learnt that the measure of
a person is how they move forward after taking a big hit. I've
learnt that A-levels are bloody hard. I've learnt many things and, tough as
some of those lessons have been, I am probably stronger for it.
During this year, the last six months in particular, my
focus shifted to my studies. My blog took a backseat and the content I produced
concentrated on my thoughts during this turbulent time. While it was an
accidental product of the shift in my lifestyle, I'm actually
proud of some of the pieces that came out of it.
Despite all the trials and tribulations of this last year
and the disappointments that have come with it, one thing I know is
that I feel confident calling myself a writer. In the ever-changing
digital age, you can waste a lot of time trying to label your digital identity -
blogger, writer, influencer, journalist. But storytelling, and writing more
specifically, is what I do. When the travelling stopped; the party invitations
were declined; when the theatre trips and art exhibitions were replaced by
study and revision; when the personal style consisted of a rotation
of three pairs of trackies and old T-shirts; writing was still there. And
regardless of career or future, it always will be.
Here are some highlights of the last five years.
I also want to thank you. Many of you have been here since the beginning, and may remember some of those moments. It's crazy to think I've been blogging for five years but what's even wilder is realising how many of you have been along for the ride. As my life moves into a new phase, I'm actively considering where to take this blog. As I evolve as a writer, a storyteller, so will the content of Lexi Likes. I hope that you will stay with me.
1. My first post. Short but sweet.
2. Outside a show at my first season of London Fashion Week
3. My first commission, where I designed an outfit for a doll company
4. Getting featured in Teen Vogue
5. A double page spread in a French magazine about my life in London as a blogger
6. Speaking to the marketing director of Lad Bible as a CNN intern at a media conference
7. Listed in The Tab's '25 Most Successful Fashion Bloggers Under 25'
..to name a few.
I also want to thank you. Many of you have been here since the beginning, and may remember some of those moments. It's crazy to think I've been blogging for five years but what's even wilder is realising how many of you have been along for the ride. As my life moves into a new phase, I'm actively considering where to take this blog. As I evolve as a writer, a storyteller, so will the content of Lexi Likes. I hope that you will stay with me.
I’m only just
getting started.
-LEXI
