Where the heck have I been???

Well, hello friends! Long time no...blog? I'm sure some of you may be wondering what cave I climbed in and why I went into a 2 year (literally) hibernation. To be honest, I never really planned on everything that has happened over the past two years. Obviously, life doesn't have a map and it surly can take you by surprise. To say the least, I was quite surprised by what my journey had in store.

Let's start with a little refresher. I was in a BSN program at a local, private college and I thought everything was going well. It really was NOT going well and just kept spiraling into a worse situation. The environment was T-O-X-I-C! I will spare the lengthy details but it took such a toll on my mental health. So in May of 2019, I dropped out. BOOM. I decided I did not want anything to do with that school, that program and those people anymore. **Panicking because I don't know what to do, where to go, how to tell my super judgmental father, what is next for me, etc.** I felt like a complete failure but looking back now, it was the start of exactly what I needed to do.

After a few weeks of emotional ups and downs, in August 2019 I applied to the community college I had previously attended for my Pre-Nursing credits and thankfully was accepted right into the RN program. I was even able to validate skills and jump into the higher level courses **Thank goodness I didn't have to completely restart**. I was given a start date of January 2020 and was ready to dive headfirst into my classes.

PLOT TWIST, through all of that to get back into nursing school, I did not end up going. There were so many red flags like "Hey girl, I don't think you're ready for this" and I attempted to ignore them until my therapist advised that maybe, just maybe, I should acknowledge what is happening. **Oh, that's right...I started seeing a therapist for some personal issues, including but not limited too, moving out of a (yet another) toxic environment.**

If you haven't noticed yet, over the past year, the major lesson learned is LET GO OF TOXIC PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS.

To make a LONG story short, it is now September 23, 2020 and I am 6 weeks into my first semester back in nursing school! I am SO extremely grateful for all of the lessons I have learned and opportunities for growth that have come my way. Without the obstacles, I would not be anywhere near the strong women I am right now.

In conclusion, not everyone's story is written the same. Timelines don't matter. Blood doesn't run thicker than water. Put yourself first, because it's not selfish. Learn to love where you are now. Lastly, however your get to the finish line, is exactly how you were meant to get there.

Your friend and biggest supporter,

Ashlyn