You chose to be free. You made a decision to let yourself be you, with nobody else telling you what to do or who to associate with. That's great on your part! It shows that you're strong enough to stand on your own without worrying about what those people in your past think.

However, you need to be aware of what you're getting yourself into. New experiences will come. Some that are exciting and some that may seem exciting, but don't go along with your character and morals. With leaving everything behind, you're starting fresh. Just know that starting over can be scary. You'll find out on your own but trying to, "fit in" isn't the right path to choose. You chose to find yourself because you were tired of whatever you had been dealing with in your past. Try not to fall too far off track while finding yourself. It's easier said then done when you've been lost for so long. If you don't focus on finding out who you want to be, history may just end up repeating it self. Trust me, you don't want history to repeat it self, when history is what you're trying to escape from.

So on this journey, what do you need to remember? First and for most, family will always have your back. I get it, it's frustrating when you're having so many emotions flowing through your mind and that might cause you to rage at your parents or siblings a little bit. It may not come off this way, but they are only trying to help you. Don't forget, before you even met the life that made you want to start over, they were the ones who built you up and made you feel strong. Strong enough to stand on your own and they gave you the courage to say enough is enough with your past. As any person would agree, no matter how young or how old, some things you just don't want to share with your parents or siblings. I get it, I've been there, but I also know that keeping those things bottled up inside will just tear you apart emotionally.

So who do you turn to when you can't talk to them? Your friends of course! Let me make that clear though. By friends, I don't mean the friends you choose to start fresh with. I mean the friends that you've been friends with. Yes, the friends that have been by your side through all those dreaded experiences that made you want to start over. That time in your life might not have turned out to be what you wanted or planned for it to be but, because you put up with it for so long, I find it very hard to believe that all those times were bad times. When you decided you wanted to find yourself, you may have made a self conscious decision to cut off everything that had a tie to who you were before everything turned sour without even realizing what you were doing. That may have seemed like the best option at first but think about it. Who you were and who you're going to be are very different in your mind. However, although they may appear to be much different, they really aren't. Regardless of what happened or what is going to happen underneath it all you're still you.

You may not know who that is right now but she is in you all the time. You control what happens next. You can choose to lean on a new group of people and you can tell them as much as you want about your past but those conversations will never compare to the conversations that had taken place over years of friendship you had, with your few friends from the past, that you so badly want to run away from. Also, you should know, those moments when it felt as if your world was crashing down won't be able to be described to the new people you choose to associate with. I mean yes, don't get me wrong, you can talk about those feelings as much as you want but the people you know now don't know what you were like then.

So how can they help you better yourself, help guide you to fix your mistakes, and make sure you don't make the same mistakes again if they don't even know who you were before now? I don't want you to think I'm saying not to make new friends because after what you've been through, regardless of what that experience was, you deserve to meet new people and have those new experiences! Just make sure you're doing everything because you want to. New friends are tricky because you don't always know what your getting yourself into, even if you think you do. When you associate yourself with new people regardless of if they are friends, coworkers, or classmates you won't know the true value of your relationship with them until something happens that puts it to the test. It's good to have new people in your life but ask yourself what kind of people you want when it comes to friends. Be friends with people you can be yourself with. People you know, without a doubt, that you can trust with your biggest secrets? The ones that have proved that too you with years of kept secrets. The friends you've had know who you really are because they've seen you at your highest and lowest points.

It's your choice to let people into your life just as much as it is your choice to take them out of your life. When you make these decisions, to let people into your life, don't forget about the ones who have been in your life. Those people have a choice of if they want to stay in or out of your new life as well. So don't just say you still want them as your friends. Show them you still need them and want them in your life. They will support you and love you through it all as long as you don't push them away.

During this journey, times won't always come easy. Just learn to be patient with what is thrown your way. Through it all, in the end, it will be worth it. You have to look at what you want and what's important to you when things get in the way. Take a look at what you have and what you want. Decide what you're willing to give up and what you can't see yourself without. Who you are, no matter who that person may be, is great. Don't let that person get shoved in the dark. Each person on this planet is unique, and the world needs more people who are genuine to who they are. So be that girl! The girl that everyone loves and adores because she was able to stay true to herself. Be the girl who finds out who she really is and lights the path for others in the world to find out who they really are.