resilience is golden. — Vanessa in Boston.

This post was originally shared on an earlier version of The City Girl's Guide. The people, places and feelings mentioned or associated with this post are from May of 2015...

One of the smartest things I’ve ever done was slow down. Granted, it wasn’t by choice but my quarter-life crisis sure came in handy and helped me sort out my priorities. It doesn’t sound all that glamorous, and it certainly wasn’t, but I definitely learned how to make it worth my while. Keep reading for my recent twenty-something epiphanies...

So first let’s start with my adventures. I think the best ones happen when you have a plan that is completely turned upside down. It’s like that coin-flip trick, when your life hangs in the balance and you figure out what is is you really want. That’s kind of like what the past few months have been like for me. A little stability and a lot of uncertain opportunities. It wasn’t the most comfortable of circumstances but I learned a lot.

Along the way I made some new friends without whom I never would have survived my quarter-life crisis. In one way or another they all took me under their wing, shared their perspectives, style and support. I’m so, so grateful to them for being the magic in an otherwise frustrating time.

And while we’re on the subject, I am eternally grateful to my mentors for their words of wisdom, recommendations, and inspiration. For weeks I was all over the place trying to capture whatever it was I was supposed to be doing with my life. From sitting in lectures at Harvard, decorating sugar cookies, working out creatively or catching up with myself, my “next thing” seemed so intangible and unknown.

But as we all know, life happens when you least expect it and when opportunity comes knocking, you open the door and ask if you can offer it a cool drink because you definitely want it to stick around.

And so here we are. I’m back in Boston, wandering cobblestone streets on my lunch break, getting my heels stuck in said charming streets while running errands and enjoying life a little more carefree than I was about six weeks ago. But not without the lessons I learned in resilience, loyalty, determination & strength.

Life isn’t going to be perfect and now I really understand that “hanging in there” isn’t just a survival tactic, it’s a lifestyle choice. Because sometimes you might have to wait a little longer but it always gets better.

-A City Girl

Many thanks to Ali Campbell for, once again, capturing a magical day & being a part of my adventures.