and she was

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My summer on the island has been great, and I’m sadly approaching my last week here. I’ve picniced and drank wine from jars by the water at the park, dove into unusually large waves at the beach, eaten pizza with salty hair and soaked clothing, and experienced Fiesta and July Fourth as a Gloucester resident.

I’m going to get real here. My life has changed greatly over the past few months. Most of the blogs I read gloss over this kind of thing, and as much as I would like to (it would certainly be easier), I have a need for honesty from myself and from others. So, here goes.

Tim and I broke up a few months ago. For his privacy, I won’t get into the details. It hurt like hell at first but now I’m feeling better than ever. Thanks to my sister, my best friends, whiskey, generous old men in bars, Daniel Craig’s shirtless bod, et cetera, I have survived and come out wiser, happier. Being in love, being in a relationship, is great, but for the first time I’ve been able to experience being a single, independent adult.

I lived alone for months, something I never thought I would be able to do. I kept my apartment (reasonably) clean, killed bugs, did yardwork, and finally stopped checking under my bed at night just kidding, I sometimes still check if I’ve watched a scary movie before bed. I’m adopting a dog on Friday, a pug & feist mix little girl who I intend to love with every ounce of my being. I got BLS (basic life support) certified and I am looking into other classes I can take at work before going back to school to finish some prerequisites for nursing. That’s not to say I’ve abandoned all creative endeavors, not in the least! My dad and I are drafting up a family photography business. My sister’s etsy is doing quite well and we have been bonding over our crafting.

I’ve spent more time with friends in the past few months than I have in a long time and I intend to put more effort into maintaining them as future relationships come and go. I’ve made new friends and reconnected with old ones.

I’m learning, growing, and genuinely excited about life again. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I feel motivated and determined to make my life what I want it to be.

It’s my last week in Gloucester and I will be spending most of my time packing and moving and preparing for my new dog. I’ll be moving to Beverly for a while to save up as I hope to move to Somerville? East Boston? Chelsea? with some friends as soon as I can manage to do so comfortably! (I am trying to be more responsible and pay for school out of pocket, lets see how that goes.)