Release Expectations and Do What Makes You Happy.

I grew up all over. My father was military for my first 10 or so years of life, and when he left the force and began contracting for the government is when the REAL travel started. I graduated high school from a teeny international school in Germany, and by that time, I had traveled all over Europe and moved more times than I could count.

After my high school graduation, I moved to Tampa to go to college. It’s been over 13 years since arriving in Tampa, and I think it’s safe to say I love it here. I’ve created a life that I’m not willing to give up, though I miss living internationally SoOoO much. My parents still live abroad, so I get to visit them every so often, which helps my travel itch.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I was given as a child. I mean… there aren’t that many people that can say they’ve visited Rome multiple times before they were 17, or that their senior class trip was to Mykonos. HOWEVER… I missed out on a ton of what we Americans associate with the “normal” childhood.

Those childhood friends that you’ve had since you were 6? I don’t have those. Those places that you’ve visited all your life? Those changed every few months for me. That deep familiarity you have with a friend group, community, music genre, sport, insert-any-noun-here…? Not me.

I felt like the one thing I missed out on was stability.

When I moved to Tampa from Germany, I was determined to finally find that stability. I failed, and I failed HARD. I couldn’t stick with a major, I couldn’t stick with a job, I couldn’t stick with a certain area (of Tampa Bay). Nothing seemed to be the right fit. I felt like I couldn’t find my path, and I was lost.

For years I struggled with being lost, and it really played a toll on my personal life. I started to feel depressed and lose my confidence. Once confidence is down, it’s a slippery slope, and tough to pull yourself back up. Negative self talk took over, and I questioned my every move.

In trying to pull myself out of the funk I was stuck in, I kept thinking back to the times I was the happiest. At that time I was a server at a restaurant, and I did so many fun things! I made jewelry, I ran all the time, I was at the beach every weekend, I hung out with friends regularly, I hula hooped a ton (I was in a bit of a hippie phase at the time), I played my violin often, I was learning guitar, I sang, I was big into DIY, I was beginning to learn how to cook… I was doing things. I was exploring passions.

It took a while, but it finally hit me.

Why am I putting these crazy hard expectations on myself, without giving myself the freedom to enjoy exploring? Why am I trying to squeeze myself into this teeny box of what I think my life should be, rather than living it for what it is.

Whether I like it or not, my constant has always been change. My stability is my ability to adapt. It took a long time for me to accept that I don’t have a cookie cutter life, and that honestly, I don’t want one.

I’ve stopped trying to put Ronnie in a box. I’ve released the expectations of what I (thought I) wanted my life to be like, and started to appreciate the day I’m in now. I mean don’t get me wrong, I absolutely have goals. I just work toward them while still loving my life and doing the things I’m passionate about.

I’ve stopped looking for outside entities to complete me, and rather I’ve begun completing outside entities. I’m starting to do things rather than lettings things do something to me.

I’m taking charge, and doing the life that I want.

Life is one big bucket of things to do, places to go, food to try, drinks to drink, recipes to make, pretty sights to see, photographs to take, things to create, and so much more.

So that’s it! That’s truly what this blog is all about. I’m going to do the things I love, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.