So I just got my first apartment last week. I move in next month and I am super stoked. Funny thing is that this year has been the most challenging and somewhat perplexing year I have ever encountered, yet at the same time it is the year in which I have had the most growth. I have become more of an adult this year then ever before. I pretty much paid off my first new car, I am a senior in college on my way to finishing my undergraduate, I have gained many new and true friends, and I just got my first apartment. This shows to me that I am not reliving anymore ages, I am just growing and maturing now. Today (July 14) is my 4 years of being clean off of meth. There was a time in recovery in which I had to relearn how to be 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 all over again, because I spent my time in those years getting high and ceasing the expansion of my knowledge and expertise in everything and anything, except for drug use and committing felonies. I finally think that I am done reliving all of those torturous years and now I get to simply live life on life terms. I have seen and been through a lot this year and it has definitely left its impact on me. Although at the same time I know that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to and I am in the process of proving that to myself right now. I would have never thought that I would have made it as far as I have and to be totally honest I am proud of myself. I know everyone who is anything in my life today is proud of me too, but what is most important is the fact that I don’t need anyone to be proud of me today, because I am what matters most. I used to focus and thrive off of the attention I received from others for my past and for my accomplishments. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy to acknowledgements greatly and don’t deny basking in the attention, but I can honestly say that I don’t need it the way I once felt I did. Again I can’t stress enough how important it is to believe in yourself and to love yourself above and beyond anyone or anything else. Nothing runs my life except for me. I am a free spirit today and I owe nothing to anyone except for myself. Today is a great day because I choose it to be that way. I hope whoever has that opportunity of reading this has a marvelous day as well. PEACE