Reflection: One year later

I'm going to preface this by saying this post is not about California or traveling. I'll probably write that update tomorrow. I'll also add that this post will be a bit personal, but I think it's worth sharing. Even if it only helps one person, I think it needs to be said. Last fall I wrote a blog on Tumblr about fighting for your happiness. Apparently that blog resonated with a few people, and I feel that an update is in order.

A year ago today, I quit my job in Florida. Since then, so much has changed.

I've moved three times (sorry, Frankenstein) across four different states. I've ended friendships. I've had some crappy jobs. I've been completely heartbroken. I have lived with nightmare roommates. I've lost money and lived paycheck to paycheck. I've thought about moving back to Florida. I was unhappy.

But despite all that shit; despite all the mistakes, the stress and the tears (there were a lot), I'm so much happier now. I have amazing coworkers. I have incredibly fun and wonderful roommates. I'm financially stable. I've traveled to California, New York, even West Virginia (somewhere I never thought I'd go), and next year I'm finally going to Paris. I've started new friendships and rekindled old ones. I'm in a relationship with someone who makes me feel so loved and important, like I'm a priority in their life, something my last relationship was seriously lacking. I'm happy.

The point of this update is not to brag or boast about how great my life is now. There are certainly things I wish I could improve on and there are still changes that I can't wait to come to fruition. The point of this blog is to encourage you to be excited for change. If your life isn't perfect right now, then that's great! It means you have room to grow. If your life feels like it could have so much more meaning than it does, that's great too! It means you want more out of life. It means you have drive, and ambition, and a desire to improve your circumstances. It means you want things to get better. Being so unhappy in the past has only made me appreciate how happy I am today. It's humbling, in a way, because I've learned that I'll do anything to hold on to the good things in my life.

Make room for new people, new experiences, new places. You need them. I'm a control freak; a creature of habit. I'm uptight and have borderline OCD tendencies. Change scares the absolute shit out of me sometimes. But I've come to find that it's a necessary part of my being. It's the only way to really grow as a person. Do things that scare you. You have to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Don't continue on being content with your life. Always strive for improvement. Never settle. Change doesn't always happen overnight. It took me quite a few months. It may take you a few days, or even a few years. But it's worth the waiting. I promise.

Embrace change, because it could be the best thing you never knew you wanted.

XO,

Casey