Hello lovely and welcome back to my blog! It has been quite sometime since I posted on my blog and to be completely honest, I never thought I would post again. It has been a LONGGGG year since I last posted on my blog and A LOT has changed! So, let's catch up!
As a travel blogger from South Carolina, I am living my dream of exploring the world. Since starting my blog in 2020, I have visited three countries, 24 states, and six national parks. In 2008, I embarked on my first travel adventure to Puerto Rico, and in 2010, I visited Ireland. At that time, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to explore more of our beautiful world. However, I refused to let go of my dreams and worked hard to make them a reality. Today, I can proudly say that I have started fulfilling my travel dreams, and I am excited to see where this journey will take me. I started my blog to raise awareness among other female travelers and provide them with trip advice. Traveling solo can be a life-changing adventure, especially if you do some prep work in advance. It's an opportunity to meet people, especially other female travelers from all walks of life. I hope my endeavors inspire others to get out into the world and overcome their fears. I have lived in Texas for about ten years and have been exploring the western part of the country for the past two years. I recently got married to a Texan and I'm thrilled to have him join me on my adventures around the world. While I enjoy traveling solo, I also cherish traveling with my husband and creating unforgettable memories with him.
As most of you know, in July of 2022 I was in a motorcycle accident, which altered my life tremendously. A few people have heard the more detailed story, but to be completely honest, I never opened up about it before or talked to anyone about it until now. My life did a full 180 that night; I learned a lot, I cried a lot, but most of all, I walked away from a lot. You see, when your body goes through something traumatic, it goes into a state of mind that protects you in a way. It suppresses your memory and pain, which, in my opinion, allows you to fight harder. On the flip side, you feel numb and detached, not wanting to connect with people. Unfortunately, I spent a good amount of time in this state of mind after my accident. Confused, angry, and simply not wanting to exist is how I felt. To summarize, I couldn't shower by myself or use the restroom without help, and learning how to walk again was quite challenging. Some might say I was lucky to not have any major broken bones or be hospitalized for longer; however, not all pain can be seen with your eyes. After a two-month recovery, I went back to work and started to live my life again. Not as fast pace or busy, but I learned to keep going and take each day I was given. Back in January of 2023, I hired a personal trainer to help me gain my strength back and work on my mobility. It was the best decision ever, and I highly recommend it if you have ever considered a personal trainer. Since then, I have been getting stronger and learning more about my body and, most importantly, how to love it. I was left with very bad scarring from my accident and muscles depleted. Through my training, I have regained a lot of strength, and I have learned to love my body no matter the scars.
The past few months had been all about wedding planning! No one warns you about how much there is to do or how difficult it can all be. Don't get me wrong; I have had an absolute blast planning all the details and putting everything together, but it can be overwhelming. You learn really quickly who is in your corner and who you can rely on. I have had an amazing, supportive group of ladies help me with all the planning. Hands down, you can't hire better help than these gals.
No one will ever know what people go through in their private lives or how important someone can become. Ryan has been an absolute rock in my life. He helped me overcome the biggest obstacle life threw at me, and he continues to be an unwavering supporting partner. I wouldn't want to spend my days with anyone else by my side.
On September 17th, my partner and I tied the knot and it was the happiest day of my life! Everything went perfectly, and I couldn't have asked for a better turnout. We were surrounded by our loved ones, family, and friends. I feel incredibly grateful and content with my life and who I'll be sharing it with.
I am grateful for the path that life has taken me on so far and I am looking forward to seeing what this year has in store for me. I have some ambitious plans and I am eager to share them with everyone and get back to the things that make me happy!
Recently, I've been pondering my blog and how much joy it brought me when I was regularly updating it. Life is always going to be busy, but something I have to remind myself of is to live it. Take a moment to look around and ask yourself if your life brings you true happiness. Sometimes, this means letting go of certain things or people. A wasted life is worse than death, in my opinion. So, I plan to live life to the fullest! To my fellow readers, thank you for your support and I'm excited to share more experiences with you all soon! Die with memories, not regrets! - Olivia, The Blonde Blogger
Comments