If my 20 years of living have taught me anything, it’s that life is one of the craziest rides you will ever take. It picks you up, drops you down, flips you upside down, and definitely spins you around quite a few times. It doesn’t take long to learn that life isn’t always a smooth sailing ship, and even though you know this, it still always knocks you for a loop when it takes that unexpected turn. You know, like when everything seems to be going so well and you’re absolutely happy with everything and then all of a sudden one thing goes wrong, and then another, and then you don’t really recognize your life anymore? It’s unfortunate, heartbreaking and hard to deal with, but it happens to the best of us.

It’s hard to see life change so drastically, because it can make even the most positive people stop looking at life as a wonderful thing, and that is absolutely heartbreaking. Everyone has their breaking point, and we all reach it eventually. It could be the loss of a friend, a breakup, a hard school year; anything. But when it happens, there’s no denying it. Suddenly this magnificent world is live in is a little less magical. Everyone deals with their unexpected turn a little differently; some can recover rather quickly while others just can’t seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I mean, how could you? Everything you know is no longer true, right?

So, what do you do when your world comes crumbling down around you and all you can do is watch? You just move on. You move on, and you take your time doing it. There’s no need to dwell in the sadness that this change is bringing. You don’t need to look it as a stopping point, but as a starting point. Because when everything goes wrong, that just means that there is a whole new way of life waiting for you. There are so many new experiences, new people, new opportunities, and new joys that are just waiting for you. So don’t dwell on being sad over this painful change, go out and find your new life. Use this time as a chance to rediscover who you are, because chances are that whatever it was that used to make you so happy, doesn’t make you happy anymore, it just makes you comfortable. I am a firm believer that there is a purpose behind everything, so there is a reason that you are going through this, and you can only get stronger from it. There is so much magic in this beautiful world, and it is all yours. And the best part? You can go find it anywhere. There is so much that you have left to discover, you’ll never be able to run out of things that bring you new joy. And that should bring you peace, because we all know that life will probably throw us another curveball one day.

I know that this unexpected turn is the most challenging thing that you have ever experienced, but it is the starting point for the greatest part of your life. While it may hurt now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you can take as long as you need to find it. Happiness still exists, you just have to go find it. Take your time to explore new things, and don't settle. I promise that the journey is so much better than the destination. Good luck finding the new you!