The other day I was talking to one of my best friends about the future and we came across the infamous question: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Each of us shared our responses, but hers stuck with me, therefore I would like to share it with you all in the form of a quote - or monologue if you'd like - because I think it might help some people struggling to find their happiness:

"If I was asked an year ago, my answer would have been working my dream job, having my dream car, traveling to different places. But today I have a different answer. From a person that has traveled a lot and has had everything and then had almost nothing, I can assure you that you can be miserable just about anywhere and you can also be happy anywhere. I’ve come to a realization that no matter the job, the car, the house or the money you could still be miserable. Don’t get me wrong I’m a very driven person when it comes to my career, but I have recently realized that none of those things really matter. What matters is that you live a happy life. So when you asked, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer, but now I am… In five years, I see myself as being happy with whatever I have.

Quality company, a cup of tea, a good book, peace. Happiness is in the little things, freedom is in the little things. It doesn’t really matter where you are or what you have, all that matters is that you are happy with what you have, otherwise you will be miserable in any situation.

I feel like nobody would truly understand what i am trying to say without experiencing something that would bring those thoughts to them, like they say you have to walk a mile in a person’s shoes to understand them. Well, so you can truly understand, today I will let you walk a mile in my shoes, and maybe, just maybe you will see the world differently.

I traveled a lot as a child, trips around the U.S. and Europe were a must, every year up until high school. Europe is glamorous, a wonderful place to live, pretty, never had anything missing from my life. Lived in a beautiful house, had a car, my parents never said no to anything. And guess what, this glamorous place where everyone dreams of traveling to and living there did not make me happy for one second. I was living in glamour and I was miserable. Now people would say that I was living a dream, but I wasn’t living MY dream. So, I moved. The moment I realized how unhappy I was, I sent in my college application, got accepted and took the first flight to Pittsburgh, PA. Left the glamour and flew in with two suitcases and a carry-on bag. I wanted to be alone and away from everything, I wanted to be free.

Things didn’t really go as planned, like I said you can be miserable just about anywhere and in the beginning I was. College is great, but I had nothing, I had no one, I had a completely different life. I was 6000 miles away from the place I used to call home, 6000 miles away from my family and friends, but wait... suddenly it hit me, I was also 6000 miles away from my troubles, from all the things that made me unhappy. So I decided to make the most of what I had and I’ll let you in on a little secret, I didn’t really have a choice, being on my own meant doing everything on my own and I didn’t really have the money for a plane ticket.

I started making friends, which by the way, is pretty hard, I could definitely say it was easier in high school, I loved my classes, I got a job and though I was free from my old troubles - I had a whole set of new ones that were about to attack me in the least expected moments. One semester and the dorm life was over. I moved into my first apartment in the middle of winter, roommates went home for the holidays, all the friends I had went home for the holidays. And that’s when the nostalgia kicks in, when you’re sitting in an empty apartment, in a place where you thought you’d be happy and you realize you are completely and utterly alone for the holidays. I spent Christmas alone, New Years alone. No family dinner, no New Year’s kiss and I thought that I couldn’t possibly be more miserable. My experiences till now made me a cold person and at a point I felt I was living the life of a robot: work, school, sleep, repeat.Not many friends, no social life, little to no interaction with people. I had an apartment, I had school, privileges some people don’t have and I was still miserable.

Well, one day as I was working, I saw what I then thought would be the solution to my so called unhappy present: My new happiness, My bliss. And yes ladies and gentlemen I am ashamed to say that it was a guy. And like all young and hopeful girls, I really thought he was the solution to my happiness and he was for a while, but every fairy tale has it’s end and you find yourself betrayed and crying and thinking that your life is over, because someone, just one person does not think you are good enough for them anymore. What I am trying to say here is that people are not a solution to your happiness and your happiness should not depend on them, you should be happy with what YOU are and who YOU are, because YOU are enough.

It took me a while to believe that, and it will probably take you a while too. Once you find yourself and you start doing what makes you happy, you will truly be free.

So, to answer the question... In five years I want to be happy, I want to sit on my porch wrapped up in a blanket, reading a book. I want to work with people who have good hearts, no matter what the job is, and possibly when I walk in from my porch I want to walk in and cuddle up to my significant other and just feel safe and loved.

Happiness starts with you, you will be happy when you choose to be. You will be happy when you realize that it’s the small things that set your soul on fire. My goals are still my goals and I am committed to them, but at this point in my life I am mostly committed to my happiness and the moment you realize that you don’t have to do things that make you miserable is the moment you are truly free."