Hello and welcome readers to my humble corner of the internet. I’m Bri, just your average 30-year-old, with a not-so-average story to tell. My journey over the last 3 years has been anything but ordinary. Now that I finally have a little more free time I thought I’d start a blog. I have spent the last 3.5 years sharing my journey online via social media, which has been a great outlet, and an amazing opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges. However, those platforms are more of a highlight reel, often leaving out the messy parts. This will be a much rawer version of the journey I have had to endure over the last few years. Picture this: life was finally starting to get good, my boyfriend and I bought our first house, started my dream job (we will get into later), and just like that it came crashing down. In a matter of seconds, my life changed. I say crashing down when really I should say crashing in. My life came crashing into me at 100kms an hour. The unexpected hit me like a freight train, just when I thought my life was finally starting, it almost ended.
Now before I dive headfirst into the trauma, let this serve as the only trigger warning I will offer. This blog will not be for the faint of heart. I am creating this blog to openly talk about trauma, mental health struggles, relationships and an honest look behind the scenes of my life. This is the candid version of the story you think you already know. I will share journal/diary entries I have had over the years. Open up about my experience without sugarcoating it to save others the discomfort. I have done that for 3.5 years, telling people I am fine to save them the discomfort of having to listen to the hard reality of what my life has become. True to Bri fashion you can also expect colorful language sprinkled throughout. So there is your warning, turn around now if you know that’s not for you. It’s not all bad, don’t worry. I will also share my triumphs, victories, how I remained “resilient” and hopeful, even when hope was hard to find. What keeps me going and how I have been navigating trauma. I hope this page can serve as a guide to others navigating through their own traumas and finding their resilience. Consider this space a sanctuary for discussing trauma, sharing stories, and finding solace in the knowledge that you’re not alone.
I say “ Survive the crash, not the impact”. To me, this means surviving the traumatic thing or event, no matter what that trauma is. Survive that, but, you do not have to merely survive the impact that trauma leaves on your life. I survived my car crash, but for a long time, I didn’t think I’d survive the impact it left on my life. I have been in a constant state of survival mode for the better half of 3 years. Realizing I did the hard part, I survived the thing that should have killed me, the impact it had on my life, though profound, does not mean I need to live my life in survival mode. I am transitioning to living, and I mean really living! The phrase suggests resilience in the face of adversity, emphasizing the importance of staying strong and persevering through tough times. I survived, now it’s time to thrive, or at the very least know I have the option too.
If you made it this far, you’re in full understanding of what you’ve signed up for and I take no responsibility for the tears you may cry, the anger or feelings you may feel, but if you laugh, I will take the credit for that haha.
So without further ado let’s talk about trauma.
Blog post 1 is already available