2017

Pain makes you Stronger. Fear makes you Braver. And Heartbreaks makes you Wiser.

This quote pretty much sums up my 2017. If there is a time in my life that will define who I am it is 2017. This year has challenged me in so many ways that I never thought I would be able to overcome but I did. So how exactly did I get here? Let’s go back to the beginning where it all started…….

January 1st, 2017: Happy New Year! New Year Resolutions:

Drink More H2O (Yes)
Exercise More (Sort Of)
Eat Healthier (Yes & No)
Better Study Habits (Improved a Bit)
Let My Hair Grow Out (Definitely Yes)

Who really accomplishes all of their New Year Resolutions? I was so excited to be entering this year, because it meant being able to fix the mistakes I made in 2016. Yes, I didn’t make the same mistakes as the year before but I did make new ones. I mean no one is perfect right???

Spring Semester: Pain makes you Stronger

This semester was significant because it was the 1st anniversary of my mom’s death. I learned that it’s okay to not be okay and it took me a year to realize that grief is something that happens on it’s own. Before I never allowed myself to grief for many reasons but I came to the realization that the pain of losing my mom was something that I would always carry and I had to learn how to live with it.

Depression was something that came with the pain and in the past I would let it control me. I was ashamed of letting people know that I was struggling and it wasn’t until this semester that I realized that I wasn’t the only one going through depression; everyone struggles with depression sometime in their life’s. It’s okay to be depressed but it’s not okay to let it take control of your life.

Another significant thing that happen this semester was that I had a fall out with a good friend. During this time I realized that I always put other people before me and even though that can be a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. I value my friendships but sometimes when friendships start to cause you constant pain, it’s better to let them go. People come and go, but true friends will stay.

As for the pain of losing my mom, that’s something that will always hurt and I’ll struggle with the depression that comes with it but I won’t let it control my life anymore. The pain of losing my mom and ending a friendship was hard but at the end it made me stronger.

Summer Break: Fear makes you Braver

Summer 2017 was filled with many adventures and self-discovery. Since beginning college, I always wanted to study abroad in Spain. I didn’t get the opportunity until this past summer, before my final year in school.

I was excited to go but also really scared. Some of my family members did not want me to go and tried to scary me with terrorist attacks stories that have happened in Europe in the past. I almost let that prevent me from turning in my program application but thanks to the support of other family members and friends I finally made the decision for myself to take a chance.

I never in a million years would’ve have know that a simple application paper would have such an impact on my life but it did. Studying abroad in Spain for a month, forced me out of my comfort zone whether it was going up to a stranger and having full conversations in Spanish or traveling to different cities through the Europe’s train system, this experience helping me grow as a person.

When I returned to the US, I boarded another plane but this time with my 2 sisters and brother to California. We have never traveled without our parents but I knew if I had traveled overseas by myself that they could also travel with just ourselves.

In LA, we rented a car and traveled to some of our favorite places and visited many of our families. The fear of traveling without our parents is a thought that isn’t so scary anymore. Instead we are looking forward to our next adventure together.

You really don’t get a chance to know who you are until you travel by yourself. Yes, I was scared to travel to an unknown place with strangers but that fear made me a braver person. Don’t let fear prevent you from experiencing things you want to do instead just go do it!

Fall Semester: Heartbreaks makes you Wiser

The realization that a friendship that I valued a lot came to an end was hard and it was a type of heartbreak that I hadn’t experience in a while. It was hard accepting that friendship came to an end but at the end it was the best decision at the time.

The last heartbreak was of a guy that I cared a lot about it. It was short and it came to an end but I didn’t realize how much I had fallen for him until it was over. I’ve had a heartbreak before but this one was different and it’s still something I’m getting over.

Accepting that any type of relationship comes to an end is hard but it’s part of life. Some relationships come to an end and new ones begin. Understand that if something ends that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Instead of being negative be positive.

You learn something from each relationship you experience. And always remember that each heartbreak brings you closer to the person you’re meant to be with at the end.

January 2018 New Year Resolution: