I'm a blogger so I will be the first to admit that by typing this right now I am a hypocrite.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way....

I just want to take one post to rant on all the social media bloggers + Instagrammers out there. It seems like almost EVERYONE has a blog & Instagram page nowadays that they are trying to reach "Insta fame" with. You know the accounts I'm talking about- the people who post multiple pictures on Instagram under the following hashtags / categories:
-OOTD (and all of their AMAZING outfits)
-Foodies (including food that every single person has eaten at some point in their lives)
​-Travel (and all of their posh hotel rooms)
-Drinks (all of which seem to be in considerably great focus & quality for someone pounding back drink after drink)
-Fitness (complete with every protein drink, work out, & beauty regime)

There are more but I think those sum up majority of the Instagram accounts you come by. While it's great to be on Social Media and to network or keep in touch with family/friends, there's a line and most of us cross it. I'm just going to come out and say it: We can't ALL be "Influencers". We can't all have some poppin' Instagram account with thousands of followers who worship our every move. Not only that, must of us shouldn't be. Just because you're drinking a martini, visiting the Caribbean Islands, or happen to be a shopaholic doesn't mean that you're now qualified to be the voice of thousands and to be deemed a personality star.

Going deeper than that- it's sad that so many of us just crave the likes. I know I do. I can't tell you how many times I've been on a vacation or at an amazing restaurant and all I can think is how to get the best shot of my Spaghetti Bolognese to later post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, anddd probably 500000 other media platforms. It's no longer about enjoying a moment but instead about broadcasting our lives.

If you stop and think about it, social media is one of the most arrogant inventions humans have ever come up with. Imagine meeting someone for the first time and them saying "Oh I just got back from an amazing trip in Rome where I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and went shopping for these amazing shoes at Prada. I got my hair done by the one and only @insertlameusernamehere and she did the best job ever! I can totally give you the links where you can buy the shoes - I'll take commission of course but still totally worth it." 

​Probably wouldn't hang out again, huh?! Every picture is overly filtered and planned out. None of these "influencers" are seriously enjoying the moment- no matter how much they make you think they are. People pay big money to be promoted and to promote. Every link posted is to make a profit, get information, or sell you something. Photoshop & flat out lying is a huge part of any influencer's daily Instagram posts. 

It's great to influence people - but in the REAL world. Be an influencer because people see your life and the accomplishments you've made. Be an influencer by being one of the very few who are actually living in the moment and by being someone who takes every opportunity given to them. Be an influencer by knowing people in REAL life and having good friends. Be kind and welcoming. Spend time getting to know new people & new cultures. Become an influencer by being yourself. Stop spending money on trying to impress others in a virtual world and instead spend money on experiences, intelligence, things you want to buy for you (because it's something YOU want), and helping those around you. 

You'll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish and how proud you'll be of yourself if you stop putting your entire life out there on social media. There's always going to be new social media platforms & trying to keep up with the Joneses on it just isn't worth it. Create your own path - you'll be amazed at just how many "followers" you'll get. ✨

Ireland is one of my favorite places in the entire world - & if I had to live anywhere else besides the States, it would definitely be here. The food, the Irish countryside, the farm animals, the old buildings, and the enchanted places and spaces have taken hold of my heart. It feels like home here - a home mixed with magical adventures and fairy tale stories. 

It's amazing how much can change in 3 years.

[Almost Exactly] 3 Years ago I was at this same spot in the picture above. Only then I was a girl living a completely different life. The only exception was that there was a fire burning inside of me waiting to escape my life of normalcy and doing what I was expected to do for the life I'm living now.

I still have a long ways to go in this journey of reaching my full potential and the best person I can be. Sometimes I can be a huge B*tch. Sometimes I still get depressed and think of myself as the way I used to be- a shy girl from the suburbs of Houston, Texas raised by religious right-wing conservatives and surrounded by those who believe a girl should go to college, get married, & supply her husband with a submissive personality and children. Sometimes I worry that I've strayed too far from the "right" path and at some point it will be too late to return to it. Sometimes I think of the things I've done in the past and am overcome by regret and my stupidity. 

However, more times than not I'm excited for the future and proud of the progress I've made. I'm finally starting to build a life that I want for myself. A life filled with travel, love, good friends, good wine, pretty things, lots of art, and most of all - everything I've ever dreamed of. 

In some ways, Ireland represents the life I want and the struggles I must overcome in order to reach it. The slow, curvy [dangerous] windy roads one must take in order to reach something spectacular - such as the Cliffs of Moher. The trust one must have when leaving the safety of a large, street lit road for one filled with darkness and fog. That getting there is just as exciting as the destination itself. That sometimes it's the most broken down, deteriorated castles and buildings that provide the most breathtaking photos and enchanting auras. 

I don't always know where I'm going - or if it's even the right way. What I do know is that I want to give 100% to all my endeavours and to see the path to the end. I hope all of us can find the road worth traveling on and that when we reach our end destination it's a 5 star resort complete with unlimited cocktails & desserts.