In Real Life Friends

As you know by now, I'm in basic training! I'm probably having fun! You probably also know that every Monday, posts are going live that are written by my blog friends as a part of my "While I'm away" series. Well, today, I have a blog friend and IRL friend to introduce to you! I'm so excited about this it isn't even funny!

Hillary and I have known each other since...Oh I don't know the 8th grade I think it was. We both had the hots for the same boy and we both had some incorrect notion that we didn't like each other!  Luckily, things have changed a lot since then. She went and grew up and got married! Over at her blog, she talks about what it's like to be a newly wed and her other wonderful adventures with her new husband!

I really look up to her and it is a pleasure to introduce her to you today!

Hello! I’ve never guest posted before. I wanted to be a famous writer when I was younger, but
that dream shriveled when I entered the world of due dates and outlines. Blogging is such a
reprieve. I’m really glad mass sharing of feelings that should probably kept private was invented.
There is nothing more exciting than knowing my craziness is being broadcast across the internet
for the world to see.

If you happen to check out my blog you’ll find a lot of nonsense
about my struggles as a newlywed. I don’t want to blab on and on about it, but I basically got the
hottest most amazing guy in the world to marry me somehow. Yep.

On to my actual post! I debated for a long time what to write about, but I've finally settled. If
I have the chance to reach out to a lot of people, like by guest posting on my old buddies blog
while she’s off kicking butt in boot camp, I would want to say this:

To thine own self be true.

For those of you who aren’t weirdoes and don’t have this memorized, that is from the play
Hamlet, by Shakespeare. I’m not a Shakespeare fan, and by no means am I a Polonius fan. But I
love the message. Here’s why.

I grew up wanting to be an Astronaut. I said screw you to common sense and I went for it. A full
ride military scholarship and a top tier university acceptance letter later. It was within reach. I
pack my bags and move across the country, I get a uniform, and I become the luckiest person in
the world. But after a while I realized that while I was doing everything I’d ever wanted to do,
a part of me was missing. So I gave it all up, and now I’m home with my husband. I feel more
fulfilled now than I ever have before. I’m glad I was brave enough to let go of what I thought I
should be, to become who I am.

Life sucks like a vacuum sometimes. But if you trust yourself, you will find yourself amidst the
garble. Each of us has a hard fight to win. I have no doubt that you can make it, though.

So that’s it, that’s all I wanted to say. Well, I think so anyway. Just know that you are who you
choose to be, and at your core, you are an amazing person. To thine own self be true :)

Like I said in the beginning, I write about my experiences as a newlywed on my blog. If you ever
need a laugh, some tips on how to plan a wedding for under 4 grand, or an idea on what to do for
this week’s adventure, feel free to stop by. And keep reading this blog! Katie is one of the most
fantastic people I know. She’s much tougher than I’ll ever be, and I look up to her.

Have a great day.

-Hill