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New year, new you? Leaning into moments of self-growth like Kay Ruiz

January 17, 2023

Starting a new year can bring on feelings of anxiety, overwhelm and excitement. What lies before you is an entire 365 days to do whatever you want with-move to a new city, start a new job, travel the world, or just get by (that's totally fine, too). And whether you're setting New Year's Resolutions or not, you might be interested in figuring out how to get a little more out of life in 2023.

Plenty of Wattpad readers like yourself might've found their way here and to their favorite stories in search of answers. Coming-of-age and self-growth stories, like Coffee Shop by Vee Lozada, help us flesh out the possibilities in our own lives. Kay Ruiz moves to a new city to escape the grips of her family and discover herself, encountering a new job, a new apartment, and a new love along the way. These are the stories we grow with. Just like Kay, we're finding ourselves, too.

But life isn't a Wattpad story, as much as we'd love it to be. Things don't always work out as planned. They go awry, get messy, and can make us feel alone. But these moments also come with opportunities to better ourselves and lean into the self-growth presented to us-just like Kay. Here's why Wattpadders love stories of self-discovery.

1. They make us feel less alone 👥

Have you ever been reading a story and thought, I know exactly what they're going through? Fictional or not, reading and writing stories where the characters yearn to discover themselves helps our own situations feel less of an anomaly. Kay made the decision to move away from home to find herself, but it didn't come without its struggles. It's in these struggles that she grows and gets to know herself. Reading about our favorite characters' hardships and triumphs helps us find meaning in our own.

2. They're comforting and give us hope 🙏

Kay grew up in a very sheltered home, something some of us might be able to deeply relate to. Moving to a new city and away from all we've known, especially while tackling the dreaded "adulting," can be super disorienting. In the beginning of Coffee Shop, Kay is shy and unsure, but with every passing trial, tribulation, and enlightening moment comes more confidence in herself. Life isn't perfect, but reading coming-of-age stories like Coffee Shop provides comfort, encouragement, and a glimmer of hope that something even better is possible.

3. They encourage self-awareness ✨

Ok, being self-aware isn't always fun (sometimes we want to just be blissfully unaware, alright?). But like it or not, it's a huge part of growing up. As Kay works diligently at her coffee shop, learns how to take care of herself, and falls in love, she's confronted with some realizations about herself. After spending a lot of her life trying to please others, she's finally realizing what she wants out of life. It's with this realization that Kay learns one of her biggest loves in life is helping others (like her sweet landlord, Mr. Paul). Becoming self-aware is a practice. Sometimes, we just need to see other people, like our favorite fictional characters, going through it to set an example for ourselves.

Tell us about one of your biggest self-growth moments and how you got through it.

4. They take us down memory lane 📸

First loves, first jobs, and big changes in our lives are all part of the coming-of-age trope that's so popular on Wattpad-and not just amongst teenagers and young adults. While these moments can feel extremely hard while going through them, they're often the times we look back on most fondly once we're through them and done growing up (spoiler alert: we're never really done). In the moment, these stories provide a bit of an escape and comfort as we navigate through. In our older years, they're heartwarming to reminisce on; the good old days when all of the firsts felt so big and exciting.

While it's always tempting in the new year to set tons of goals and put pressure on yourself to grow, remember that you can do that at any time of the year. If you don't trust us, take it from Kay.

Love the coming-of-age trope and looking for some more self-discovery reads? Read Coffee Shop by Vee Lozada or check out the Wattpad Empowered and Chick Lit Ambassador Profiles for more community picks!

Happy Reading!

-Wattpad HQ

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BONUS COFFEE RECIPE (Just cause)

Got a sweet tooth and a hankering for some caffeine? Try out this Caramel Brownie Coffee recipe by Sugar and Charm (it's a Dunkin' Donuts dupe!).

You're going to need:

1 cup coffee brew
2 tablespoons milk chocolate chip morsels
1 tablespoon french vanilla creamer
1 can whipped cream
1 crumbled chocolate brownie

Here's how to make it:

1. Pour 1 cup hot coffee into a mug, add in the chocolate chips, and stir until melted.
2. Add in creamer and stir.
3. Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate and Smucker's Caramel Sauce.

Let us know if you liked this recipe. ☕