Sometimes plans change and that’s okay.

We all have imagined a plan for how our lives were going to go. Graduate high school, get into the college of our dreams, graduate after the four best years of your life, become engaged to our high school sweethearts, have a perfect wedding, and start a happy, little family. Unfortunately, life has its own way of working out that most likely does not line up with our plans. Although you may feel lost now, it is important that you trust that life has a plan for you and you will end up where you belong.

I had a perfect plan for how I wanted my life to go. Attend a college far away, become a nurse, and marry who I thought at the time was my person. These were my plans. It wasn't long until I realized all these plans were going change. I wasn’t happy far from home, I was in a major that wasn’t right for me, and the boy I thought was going to be in my life forever was gone. Heartache, confusion, loneliness, and uncertainty consumed me and left me feeling like my future was ruined. You get an idea of what you want your life to look like and when that goes away, it's hard to know what to do next. I was lost.

I didn’t want to continue living a life where I was unhappy. Something needed to change. I packed my things, left school, and decided going back home was the best thing for me to do. I had to trust myself that I would find the right school for me to pursue the major I was actually passionate about. Even though many people were disappointed in my decision and thought I was weak, finding the courage to say “this is not what I want” and leaving was the bravest thing I could have done. I deserved more than to stay in a situation that left me feeling broken.

I watched all my friends living their lives and enjoying their college years filled with envy and jealousy. I was losing hope and felt so sorry for myself. Instead of sitting around and moping, I picked myself up and started focusing on the future. I found a job, applied to a school near home, and attempted to surround myself with new and better people. Slowly but surely, I got myself to where I wanted and needed to be. Now, a year and a half later, I am in an even better place than I could’ve imagined. I am surrounded with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met, attending a college that I love, working at an amazing job…all because my plans changed.

Luckily, with time, patience, great family and friends by my side, and a little bit of hope I was able to create new plans. As cliché as it sounds, everything does happen for a reason and I am now a firm believer of that. You will always end up where you need to be and with who you need to be with. Remember that plans change, people change, and you change. That’s okay. Everything works out in the end. You're going to get to a place that is much better than you could have ever planned for.