Summer has come and gone and I'm not quite over it yet! I feel that it's only appropriate to recap this incredible summer before we head back to school!
Where to begin...

We spent lots of time at the pool...

I spent nights out in different cities... always fun!

We watched some beautiful sunsets

 and spent lots of time with this wild one

I went to a few concerts

And I can't forget this incredible trip to NYC to celebrate my 21st birthday

to see part one, click here

for part two, click here

for part three, click here

I also spent a few special days on the lake. These are always some of my favorite!

So, that's a super summarized version of my summer! Relaxation, good times, good people, lake days, pool days, new cities, and memories I will never forget. Summer of 2016 will forever go down as one of my favorites. Now, time for more Nursing School.

xoxo, Bailey

"We are so afraid to change careers, to end relationships, to outgrow people or places -- and that's just growth. To me, choosing to go toward the cracking in order to keep expanding is the only way. The only way to get out of pain is to go through it. Pain is information." - Sophia Bush

Seasonal people.

We've all heard the term. That some people are meant to stand by you for a lifetime, while others are only around for a season. It's not always someone's fault; sometimes things just don't work out despite your best efforts. I'm a firm believer that each and every person placed into our lives is there for a reason. God has a purpose behind every single person and why you crossed paths. And although everyone has a purpose, not everyone is meant to stay.

Personally, I'm a fighter. I will fight for someone that I care about for far longer than I should. I give entirely too many second chances, and always try to give the benefit of the doubt to the people I care most about.  On the same token, I am not one to get walked over. Have I let a guy or an old friend do that to me in the past? Yes. Did I learn? Absolutely. Have I learned to stand up for myself since then? You know it. Which ultimately is leading me to this post. But what's the next step when the support, emotions, and feelings are not being reciprocated? What do you do when these people are inhibiting your growth as an individual?

I've burned bridges, cut ties, and tried to let certain people fade out of my life. But it doesn't get easier.  It doesn't get easier to force a relationship to end. And breakups with friends can be even harder than a love interest. This is something I am currently struggling with accepting. There are certain people that you will cling to and get comfortable with, making things even more difficult when you have to part ways.

Haven't we all been accused of "giving up" on a friendship? Those are never easy words to hear. But is it really giving up when you've been holding it together by yourself for the longest time? Friendship is a two way street and if the support is not being reciprocated, it becomes more of a stressor rather than a stress reliever. Friendship should be fun. It should be easy (at least most of the time). They should help you solve your problems, not repeatedly cause you more.
Seasonal people.

Why have I let someone that has hurt me over and over again come back into my life year after year? A person that doesn't want me, but doesn't want anyone else to have me. I don't know if I have allowed this because I too have been unsure of what I wanted, or if I cared so much that I would rather have him halfway rather than not at all.

 "The best advice my mother ever gave me was - let him find someone else to teach him what he wants."

Seeing someone once a year isn't sweet. It's a tease. A mind game. Something that I don't have time for any more. I want so badly for the person in my mind to be the person in front of me. But it just isn't that way. My expectations are not my reality. I know God has the perfect man waiting on me. He is saving him for the perfect time, and I cannot wait for the day that we meet.

 "Believe it or not, sometimes 'proving your worth' means leaving people who won't appreciate it, the hell alone. How can you prove you're worth more by stressing yourself settling for less? They see your worth already. They just don't value it." - Horacio Jones

I know I'm not growing with these individuals, nor am I becoming a better person. My life isn't easier because of them, rather it is more stressful. I have a number of individuals that I need to cut ties with for myself. As easy as it would be to keep doing what I've been doing for years, I would be continuing the habit of not putting myself first.

"The hardest part was to stop fighting, to stop trying to glue the broken pieces back together and just walk away. I mean, how do you just let go of someone you spent so long desperately holding on to?" - Jess Amelia

Seasonal people.
It's time for me to put myself first. My mindset, my health, and my happiness back at the top.
That time is now.