There are a lot of reasons why I’m happy that I’m starting a fresh new quarter in college. A few weeks ago, I was overloaded with work, took too many challenging and time-intensive classes, and my best friend group was all torn up. Let’s just say I’m a little bitter at Ireland and Senegal for stealing Kelty and Tiana away from Lakshmi and I when they went to study abroad!
Even though we’ve all been back up in Santa Barbara for a little less than a week, it took us all till Friday to finally be fully reunited! I lived with these girlies all last year in a snug little apartment and we have a wonderful group dynamic. Even though we’re all extremely different in terms of personality, when you put us all together, we fit together like puzzle pieces and I always find myself having the most meaningful conversations, laughing the hardest, and feeling completely comfortable in my own skin when I’m with them.
I think we all have a tendency to think of “health” in terms of fitness and the foods we put into our bodies. Oftentimes we overlook the mental aspect of things and don’t consider that the conversations, positive vibes, and respect and love that we have with friends and family are just as important to our health, if not more. I cannot even begin to express the powerful positive influence these girls, and many of my other friends, have made on my life. From maintaining a positive body image, keeping an open mind and heart, finding my own self-confidence, and so much more, the people I surround myself with help me improve as a person on a daily basis.
I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but through my friends, I’ve found myself. And that’s how I think friendships should work. To me, they’re an incredible mixture of giving and receiving that involves sharing everyone’s best qualities in a way that leaves everyone involved bettered and continuously growing as individuals. What friendship should NOT be about is feeling used, belittled, judged, or like you need to put in energy and effort to please and satisfy someone who does not accept you as you are. In my opinion, you should not invest emotional energy into the those that are constantly putting you down, instead, you should work on building relationships with friends who lift you up and will, as cliche as it sounds, catch you when you fall. Good friends are ones that know you and your heart and come running to you with open arms- happy, accepting, and true. This extra sassy quote sums up my opinion on unhealthy relationships:
“Take me as I come, or watch me as I go.”
And yes, I’m actually this weird in person.
And since I don’t want to end this post with that embarrassing picture, I’m going to mention that, along with my other 2015 resolutions, I’m going to work on building even stronger bonds and relationships with all my favorite ladies and guy friends (and all my online bloggy buddies as well <3) and continue to let them influence me and challenge my current ways of thinking. 2015 is going to be a year of personal growth for me and I can’t wait to see what it brings!
Yes girlfriends are so important!! I moved super far away from where I went to college so never see my besties like ever! BUT we keep a running txt going so we all stay in touch as much as possible It’s been almost 4 years since I graduated and they’re still my closest friends! (wow now i feel old lol)
I agree 100%! Through friends and all the relationships in your life! 2014 was a huge year of learning that for me!
Christine, I absolutely LOVE this post. It’s so true that we forget that health isn’t just about food and fitness, but about overall well-being, which definitely includes investing in uplifting relationships.
I adore that sassy quote, “Take me as I come, or watch me as I go.” And the picture that goes with it? Too perfect.
P.S. Your group of girlfriends is the absolute cutest!
Thank you so much, Liv! And that picture is a bit embarrassing, but to be honest, it is a pretty good indicator of how I am in real life haha ;). Glad I found the perfect quote to justify posting it here hahah!
Spot on with this post! I love it
My group of girl-friends/roommates is what go me through college, it took me until Junior year to find them but my relationships with them are so strong and real that I know we’ll be close for life! It’s really easy to take living so close together for granted, but now after graduating everyone has scattered in different directions, I now wish to go back to the days they were right down the hall instead of like…in New York.
Better late than never with meeting them your junior year! I actually lucked out since I lived in a HUGE dorm (they converted two hotels into dorm rooms) and, even though I did not click with anyone on my floor, I absolutely hit it off with the people who lived on the floor above me. I’m so glad you have such wonderful people in your life! And I am SO scared for when my friends and I start graduating and moving away. Let me know if you have any tips to help keep connections strong!
Gorgeous. You. These photos. What you said about friendship. All of it. I can definitely speak to the importance of friendships, which become so much harder to maintain as you get older. People have their jobs. Their families. Their responsibilities. And there seems to be less and less time to devote to friends. I’ve been SO guilty of letting my friendships suffer when things get crazy busy, but after a tonne of New Year reflecting, I came to the conclusion that it’s something I need to put more effort into maintaining and growing. 2015 will definitely be a good one
This was such a beautiful post! I moved a lot when I was growing up and the friendships I’ve maintained for 15+ years are so important to me. I’m closest with my friends from high school (more so than college) and they are the best therapy.
I think it is AWESOME that you’ve been able to stay in touch with all of your old friends! The distance definitely makes it harder, but it’s so, SO worth it
This is so spot on. Health is so much than eating clean and working out. Having amazing relationships, positive influences and people around you that truly make you happy is incredibly important.
I’m glad you think the same way! I honestly can’t even begin to explain how much of a positive influence my friends and family have had on me
THIS WAS THE CUTEST THING I’VE EVER READ I LOVE YOU SO MUCH TINEY <3333333
Oh my GOODNESS Christine! This is beautiful! You have such a way with making words sound as if they’re the most perfect string of letters to ever be said. Friendships are so important, and I’m so happy I’ve finally realized that it’s okay to lean on others for support and not feel the need to do everything myself! But these pictures. Incredible. I see you went down and enjoyed your beautiful water
is there a filter on the second picture? I’ve been trying to get that look and you have exactly what I’m trying to get!!
AHHHH Leigha! I swear, you are the sweetest thing ever and this comment truly made me smile :). It doesn’t have a filter on it, but the lighting was edited in Photoshop using the Florabella action collection! I just did a basic histogram fix and I think added one of their filter-ish things to it. Maybe a slight color pop as well :). I can help you with all that jazz if you’d like! I’ve been trying to learn more about photography/editing, and I know how hard it can be by yourself- so I’m here to help! <3
All of your best friends are uniquely stunning! Seriously, each and every single one of them have such a radiance about them. I really like your watermark as well! It’s subtle and elegant. The way in which you describe your friendships is so endearing and they must be pretty special to have captured your heart in the way that they have. You are 100% right on the different definitions of health. Having great relationships is certainly an important aspect that people tend to overlook. I am so glad you a re bringing more awareness to it!
I love that picture of you spreading your wings, lol! and I agree with the post 100%, especially the part about friendships should be judgement free. Just reading this post and looking at all the awesome pictures made me feel good and gave me some hippie-yolo vibes! love it
It’s great to see you more prepared for this new quarter in college. I know you might be going through a lot of difficult moments and one of the most important things to do is maintain your relationships. It’s what keeps our minds healthy and personality balanced.