“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right...and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
― Marilyn Monroe
As the countdown to my college graduation begins with just nine weeks remaining, I can't help but read this quote and realize that the people I have encountered over the past four years have helped me understand the type of person I want to be. They have helped shape my goals, and have given me valuable life lessons that a textbook can not teach. I decided the best way to start a blog is to look back at where I've been and start writing from there - so here it goes.
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| My amazing parents. |
I started college with the aspirations to become a full-time NASCAR competitor, while also pursuing a career in public relations. Now, I haven't been in a race car in over a year, I recently accepted a position in an industry I wasn't even sure I would endorse four years ago, and surprisingly I love my life. The past four years have been a series of adventures I wouldn't trade for the world.
I've learned that a career doesn't define who you are. I've learned that while "the art of never being satisfied" is great to push you to achieve your goals, sometimes you have to take your blinders off to enjoy where life has taken you - I now know that I want to be satisfied with my life. Yes, I want to continue to strive to attain new achievements, but I also want to be happy with where I'm at. I think 2011 was a year of tough choices that gave me the courage to take control and decide for myself what will make me happy.
Life can be terrifying. Yet, I strongly believe we all know deep inside what we want, we just have to trust our instincts enough to follow through. God works in ironic ways, and I feel looking back on the past year, He foreshadowed many of my greatest blessings.
In January I was offered a paid position with the PR team (probably one of the only reasons I stayed) and Drew assigned Ryan to be my supervisor. The one piece of advice Ryan drilled into me was to enjoy life by creating a balance between work and play. This advice stuck with me through the next seven months and played a factor in most of the tough decisions I was about to make.
I took the advice to heart and decided to appreciate life by having as many experiences as I could. That spring I tried to capture a "college experience" something I never had before. I went on trips, spent more time with friends, and made every effort to get home as much as I could. I was drifting in a new direction and when the spring ended it was time to start making tough decisions. I took the first step by moving into an apartment all by myself. It took a lot of courage, but turned out to be one of the best things I've ever done.
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| First road trip of 2011 - St. Augustine with Katie Kessen |
The next one was something that was a long time coming. It was something I had held onto for a year too long, and I knew it back in May of 2010 - but again we all resist change. This challenge was something God knew I needed help with and He set his plan into action for me while I was away at Lyci's 5th-grade graduation. When I finally realized what had happened a few weeks later, I experienced a whirlwind of emotion and I continued to believe the lies because I didn't want to face the reality. I was afraid of change.
Again, He saw I needed a bigger push, and on a gorgeous summer night in June I made my final decision. I knew it was final when I scooped up my best friend and called my dad (Life Lesson No. 1: parents are an amazing gift, and always know what to say). For weeks, Riley would catch me crying and put her paw on my arm trying to lick away my tears (Life Lesson No. 2: My dog really is my best friend). And then, one day, it was over. I was done reliving the past and wanted to move on. This is when the best most amazing chapter of my life started to begin. And my friends, that I had neglected, welcomed me with open arms.
It was shortly after this, that I began to see the world in a whole new light. I remember texting Katie with butterflies in my stomach about a boy, and I think she knew before I did what my cards had in store for me that summer.
August is always the best month of the year, it's filled with birthdays, sunshine and new beginnings. In 2011, it completely exceeded it's expectations. It all began August 1, 2011 while I was sitting on the restaurant patio watching the sunset over Lake Norman. Little did I know this was the first day of the rest of my life with Ryan. (I'll spare you all of the details, but it was something that started a new spark inside of me that I have continued to live with each day since.) It led to late night conversations, plans for the future, watching Lily and Marshall on the couch, spontaneous trips and a goodnight kiss every night.
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| Our first road trip together in Atlanta - September 2011. |
