My favorite version was easy to pick. It’s this girl. She is 32, 35lbs lighter than I am now, just finished her second year teaching in New Mexico and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after moving and having her marriage promptly fall apart. She has rented her very own apartment all for herself but hasn’t moved in just yet. In the midst of all the chaos, she planned this fantastic Utah National Park road trip and here she is realizing that she can spend her money and time on what she wants, and that she can make things happen with a little planning and of course, a spreadsheet 🙂 This is day 5 of said road trip. Yesterday she climbed Angel’s Landing, which was terrifying and so rewarding, so she is feeling the high of that, and joy of being busy. She is laying the foundation for new friendships, but she is also terrified and heartbroken.
When I look back at this picture of me, I feel so proud. I feel so proud of this woman who took risks and put in the work to give me the life that I have today. I am so proud of the strength and courage she found, and how she responded with grace to all the challenges and curve balls that came her way. I knew, when it was happening, that it was going to be hard, but I also knew that it wouldn’t always be this hard. I knew I was going to come out of it ok. This girl chose to take a bad situation and make the best out of it, and I just want to reach back and give her the hugest hug and say THANK YOU for hanging in there. We made it out!