First off, I would like to apologize if this comes off sort of "diary entry-ish", but I figured that other people might be feeling the same, so here we go.

… sometimes life can be hard. Yup, a little surprising coming from a pretty optimistic person. Sometimes things happen that put a pause on your everyday happiness. I don’t want this to sound like a sappy reality TV show segment, but to be completely honest; life hasn’t been particularly easy for me lately. Through heartbreaks, loses, and overall just “sucky” situations, I have learned to become a bigger person. I am stronger than I ever thought I could be, and that is something I really cannot emphasize more. Life presents itself with tricky situations, and getting through those situations is part of growing up. I am so unbelievably lucky to have such an amazing support system, a huge reason as to why and how I get through difficult times. Choosing to be strong doesn’t only make you the bigger person, but it makes the ‘recovery’ go by so much faster. Sure, there will be tears and it will be hard. But, to be the bigger person, strength must be accomplished. In the end, life is about having fun, laughing at stupid jokes, remembering that it gets better, and knowing that things happen for a reason. Through difficult journeys, I have found pieces of myself. I have found courage, bravery and a voice. There are going to be bumps in the road, but the way you get over those bumps are how you will overall grow as a person. I don’t want to keep rambling on and mentioning cheesy Pinterest quotes, but it is completely true when someone tells you that “it gets better”, because it will and does. So, despite the hardships, take that hike. Stand up tall and realize that no matter what, nothing can change who you are and who you want to be.