just alyssa

Okay ladies, here it is. DATING. IS. HARD. It’s hard. I’m pretty sure that skydiving without a parachute, and learning to fly on your own and surviving the fall, would actually be easier. Okay- slight exaggeration, maybe not. But the concept is there. Dating is hard, and it sucks. And NO, this article is not for you ladies who met the perfect guy in high school or are already married or are with your college sweetheart, or have been with the same guy for forever. This is NOT relationship advice or a guide to keeping your man happy. (By the way, can I just go ahead and throw out there how stupid that is?? Needing advice to make HIM happy? Be yourself….okay sorry..I’ll stop ranting.) No, this is not for you. This is for us unfortunate characters who have not yet found our [soul] mate. This is for the girls that have to go on countless dates with strangers, hoping one of them will be our match. This is for the women who watch the clock tick away our precious child-baring ye...

I am a collector. While some people collect knick knacks and model car hobbies, I collect the intangible things. I collect people and the moments they leave me with. I collect beautiful memories along with the scars they leave in their wake. I collect streams of tears that pool just underneath the surface, fighting to break free. I collect moments of self doubt and insecurity. And amongst all the pain, I collect the smiles other people give me, and do my best to remember to wear them. What I’ve come to realize in my mere 24 years of living, is that every day we’re becoming different people. Often times I find myself living in the shadows of what my past has given me, and forget what I was looking forward to tomorrow. Over the past year I have changed in more ways than I can count. I have collected many moments and people. Some have left a bitter taste in my mouth, while others have become my safe harbor. I do my best to live by the principle that “God has a plan”, ...