Welcome. There is nothing more necessary than an introduction post.. Now, yes, I do have an About Me section but that still just skims the tip of the iceberg into exactly who I am. I'm the girl who's known to get you to say the things that make you feel the most uncomfortable. I am the one you call to bitch to because I'm always willing and ready to listen to you. But most importantly, I am, and always will be, me.
Life is full of adventure, you just have to be willing to join the ride. Change is something I am a strong advocate for. I feel that change is something that we all must accept and endure to break through new barriers and reach new heights. My life isn't one where I tell you I'm the boss of a Fortune 500 or that I make a six figure salary being an influencer online. But what I will tell you, is that taking a chance on yourself is beyond rewarding and worth all the struggles it brought. So without further adieu, let's dive in....
As the youngest, and only girl, of three, it has taught me so much about how to be my own person. Coming from a childhood of difficulties from being bullied to sexually assaulted twice, I must say, perseverance was the only way I knew how to live. As a young girl, you never expect that some people could just be so cruel and hurtful at such a young age. But as the years went on, I learned who was worth my effort and who wasn't. Being kicked out of a talent show dance at just 9 years old is way more detrimental than it might sound. It's that feeling of not being good enough and being lied to that really was the struggle. As a Tomboy at heart, I didn't understand these behaviors until later in life.
By the age of 13, I had suffered my first sexual assault. It was one of those experiences that forces you to grow up a little bit faster than you would expect. There was a 2 year span where I did't tell anyone what exactly had happened to me. It took on very difficult conversation with my parents to hit a turning point in my life. In those two years leading up to telling them, self-harm and a lot of low self-worth, really made this journey more difficult. It wasn't until I was able to find relief in telling my parents that I was finally able to open the door to healing my own wounds. It took a lot of time and perseverance to finally gain a sense of self again. I now stand as an outlet to those struggling themselves.
Sports became my outlet. I began to excel which sadly only made the invisible target I've been carrying around, much bigger. Passing those in your class with an athletic talent was definitely not welcomed at that time. It was intimidating to others and it created a battle that I had to face throughout the years in order to continue to do something that I loved. Knowing you have a gift that others seem to feel threatened by to the point of bringing you down, makes you question why that is your gift. Now I knew that I wasn't about to become a professional volleyball player, but I took the time necessary to be my best and achieve MY goals.
I played volleyball throughout high school and then later in college. Athletics stole my heart and it was something I could always find enjoyment through. Through college volleyball, I found a very special human who forever changed my life. Catherine Healy is my forever angel. She came into my life and forever opened my eyes to forgiveness. Remember earlier in this story where I told you about being bullied, well this forced me to really dislike females. I struggled with forming new friendships because I had been burned so many times that it just didn't seem logical that I would every actually trust another female. But when Cat entered my life, that mindset was easily changed. She showed me how to have boundaries within myself so that I wasn't so quick to give someone my all to those who didn't deserve it. She truly showed me how to be open minded again.
Then in 2013, the biggest tragedy of my life occurred. I lost Catherine to a drunk driving accident. The most genuine, kind spirited individual who forever changed my life, was now physically taken from me. The next five years, grief consumed me to no end. But that also being said, I didn't stop living my life. I know Cat would never approve of me just giving up because she wasn't physically here to kick me in the ass when I would be a smart ass. This just meant I now had to learn a new normal without her. To my absolute fortune, a longtime friend came out of the woodwork just at the exact time. Nichole was my neighbor growing up. We developed a friendship that is now unbreakable and I'd never change the relationship we share for anything.
The year I graduated college, 2014, I decided to move to NYC to continue the adventure of life. Over the five years I lived there, I learned so much about myself. I tried out a handful of occupations, met many amazing people and truly lived life to the fullest. But NYC just wasn't it for me. The beach was seriously calling my name. Not to mention, Catherine and I had planned a long time ago to move down to Florida together. What perfect timing it was after feeling like I had my fun in NYC, it was time to move on. And so another change began. I packed up my belongings and moved to Fort Lauderdale, where I didn't know a soul but knew I was ready to start this chapter.
After one magical year in this amazing beach town, I am finally living the life I have always wanted, the mermaid life. The place I plan to plant my roots and just invest myself to. This is still just the beginning of the yet to be seen story of my life. Through this journey, I hope to continue to share my experiences in this world as well as stay entertaining to you through product reviews, How To's and much more! If you've made it this far, I appreciate your support. You can stay up-to-date with all my posts by subscribing here to get notifications for all the goods and you will soon learn just why this is your Breath of Fresh Air.