I’ve been in Denver for almost two months now, and it’s starting to get into the swing of things. I’m still doing well in school and learning a lot in both classes. I also started a new job that I’m enjoying. I’m finally unpacked and got my apartment together. It’s nice to not having boxes all over the place. Up until now, I’ve been feeling out of place. I couldn’t find half my stuff, I didn’t know my way around the city, and wasn’t on track with stuff. Now that I’m all moved in settled, things are starting to fall into place and I’m not as stressed out. In February, I enjoyed a great solo Valentine’s Day and experienced some of the downsides of living in the city. I also made plans for March.

With the new near, I closed one chapter and opened a new one. On the second of January, I made the eight and half hour drive from Kansas City to Denver. I said goodbye to my old life in Kansas and said hello to my new life in Denver. Getting to Denver wasn’t easy, and there were a few times I almost gave up. The hardest things in life are things worth doing. I’ve been in Denver now for about a month and I love it. For the first time in my life, I feel like where I belong and that I’m on the right path. In 2021 I went from being stuck, unhappy, searching for a purpose to someone who’s happy and excited about life.

Tigger warning: this post discusses abuse. 

When it comes to blogging, I don’t open up a lot about what’s going on in my personal life. I’m a private person and only share certain things online. And what I’m about to share is something I’ve debated about sharing for a while. Earlier this my seven-year-long abusive marriage came to an end. This wasn’t something I was going to share online but after much thought. I decided to share my story because I have a voice and with my voice, I can share my story and help end the stigma around domestic abuse. And hopefully, inspire someone in a similar situation to seek help.

2021 marks the end of my third year of blogging. My blog is three years old and still going strong. I was able to maintain a consistent blogging schedule and received a few paid jobs for posts and photos. Unlike my second year of blogging, I wasn’t able to travel or cover any events. I’m hopeful that next year I’ll be able to maybe one or two. With it being the beginning of the new year, I wanted to take a moment to look back at my third year of blogging.

When I moved to Kansas City about three years ago, I had hopes of settling down. I’ve lived in seven different states. Growing up my dad’s job had my family moving every few years. We ended up settling down in Michigan. Where I meet my now ex-husband, he was in the military so that called for moving every couple of years. When he finished his term, we left Tennessee for Missouri with the intention of making it home and buying a house. It was something I was looking forward to, I’d be able to get involved around the city, making new friends, and no more apartments. After a few months in Kansas City, I started to rethink my original plan. It went from a place that I’d call home to the place that broke me.