Throughout my years of growing up, I have been told and realized that the environment you surround yourself with truly has an effect on your mental health. I used to just brush it off my shoulder, making excuses for the not so great people in my life, the places I was going to, and the way my lifestyle was daily. It was easy to just blame other things than admit to myself that some of the environments I have been in were really affecting my mental. Ironically enough, today is mental health day as I am writing this so it seems very fitting.

It's inevitable too, at some point in your life, get mixed up with the wrong people. High school is a journey and college is even worse (but sorta in a good way). I really have trained my mind to forget all of high school, except for senior year prom, because it was the WORST time of my life. I was in a school that was not the best fit for me and I probably would have benefited at my public school in my district. I just did not fit in. Everyone knew my business or nobody knew I even existed. I was in an environment that made me feel less of myself and like I was an outcast. Luckily, I had a few people that really made high school bearable. Without them, I would have definitely transferred. I hated the fact that I felt stuck in this environment that I knew was not good for me.

Then, I graduated! I went off to college just hoping that I would feel better where I was and that the people around me would bring out the best of me. So far, there have definitely been ups and downs. My freshman year was a breeze, I made amazing new friends, a loving boyfriend, and really felt like I had a fresh start. Although I was nervous about the change, it really helped me grow as a person and mentally. However, sophomore year has been a bit more rough. I am not really a vulnerable person but going back to school was REALLY hard for me. I love my family and I did not want to readjust. I also live in a house with 35 girls and although they are all great, it can get pretty crazy sometimes. I just feel like the environment of 35 girls makes me way too stressed out. But do not get me wrong, they never fail to cheer me up. So the environment might not be ideal, but it is not permanent. I still have my favorite people by me and now have a getaway to my boyfriend's new house.

So yeah, the environments I have been in have been rough, the people surrounding me every day may drive me crazy but also are my cheerleaders when I need them to be, and the lifestyle here might not be for me...BUT I still take the positives from it, make every day the best it can be, and make my lifestyle choices the way I want them to be.