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!