The weather is perfect.

The sun is shining.

The leaves are turning.

It’s a different feeling.

It’s one of my favorite feelings.

Nature is beautiful.

☀️🌲🌊🍂✨

✨ PSA! ✨ Your mental health and peace are worth more than pleasing others, especially your own family.

If you do not want to surround yourself with toxic family members during the holidays, or any other time really, you DO NOT have to. You DO NOT owe anyone anything. You DO NOT have to people please. You DO NOT have to be torn down.

Save yourself the pain and disappointment. Set boundaries because you are allowed to set them even if others don’t approve.

Save your mental health. Save your peace. Save your energy. Save yourself. You owe it to yourself to heal from within and to end all generational traumas. Make it stop with you.

Keep going.

Keep making progress.

Keep healing.

And so begins chapter T H I R T Y ✨

When the dreaded 30th birthday came I always thought that I would be further along - like the whole marriage, kids, white picket fence house, a high end career, etc. etc. - yanno, the way the movies made life seem like it should be. In my twenties I realized that was not realistic at all and that’s absolutely okay.

My twenties was full of nothing by growth and learning experiences. I went through so many moves, heartbreak, starting over, finding myself, learning to love myself, finding passions and hobbies, hiking, adventuring, traveling, opening up my creative side, starting a blog, finding my soulmate, and finding happiness. It wasn’t always easy, but I always found a way to make the best of it. I learned so many lessons, but the most important one was making myself a priority. I am so happy I learned how to be myself and how to love being myself because it opened up so many doors that I had closed.

After everything I went though in my twenties I would do it all again, as long as I ended up here in my thirties; building a life with the person I love, having all of my cats, being surrounded by the tribe I’ve chosen full of family and friends, my career with the State of Maine, our cute and homey townhouse, all of my adventures, all of my travels, all of the lessons I’ve learned and all of the experiences I’ve had. I’m happy to be where I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“all of these beautiful things

sunlight,

goodness,

stars,

you” 🤍✨

— butterflies rising 🦋

This mountain is my favorite thus far. The views are incredible and to be able to see them at peak foliage was a literal dream. The trail had a beautiful mix of some areas that were in full bloom, some that were fully green, and some that were bare. It was a beautiful hike out and back.

If you’re ever planning a hike in Maine at peak foliage, I highly recommend Mount Blue. ⛰🌲🥾🍁✨

Hermit Island - Phippsburg, ME. This trail was one of my favorites thus far. If you love hiking and you love the ocean, you’ll love this trail. It is a great reminder of how beautiful the rocky coast of Maine is.

I am super behind on my adventure posts, but I am going to finish them so I can focus on my new adventures in 2023 and keep you all updated. ⛰️🥰

If you’re interested in reading “Hermit Island” you can find it on my blog @ peaceofmindy.com or by using the link here 👉🏻 https://peaceofmindy.com/2023/01/hermit-island/

“There is no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this.” ⛰✨