I'm 25, a trainer/technical writer, and my boyfriend and I recently moved 500 miles together so he could go to grad school. I'm absolutely crazy about him and we plan to get married in the next year or so.

I went through a rough time of things after finishing college, before meeting my boyfriend. A relationship and a few friendships ended badly and I was feeling pretty down.

After a while though, I realized that I had the time to build the things I wanted in my life, with more room now that the people who didn't want to be there had left. I became a part of a wide circle of friends, got active in my community, and also made sure to have plenty of alone-time. My relationships with friends taught me a lot about what kind of people I like to be around. Being active in my community helped me look beyond myself. Having time alone helped me learn how to live in my own skin as comfortably as possible. Meditation kept me focused and kept me from getting too overwhelmed when the challenges seemed too great.

Now I can see that this challenging time gave me the opportunity to re-invent myself on my own terms. I found peace with my self.  Then I found a person to share that with, which made all the pain from before more than worthwhile.

– Gillian