Let’s get real.

Don’t be fooled, my life isn’t even close to as ‘perfect’ as my Instagram might make it look.

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I can’t be the only one who intends to have productive Sundays, but actually spends the majority of the day snuggled up with a blanket drinking coffee, watching NCIS. Yep, that’s been my Sunday so far.

Maybe I stayed out a little too late last night, or maybe I just am lacking the motivation to do much; but I finally turned the television off and grabbed my laptop because I have some realness to share with all of you.

It is one of the biggest compliments when someone messages me through social media and says something about how incredible life looks for me right now, or how amazing my life seems at the moment. I’m glad it appears that I have my life together because in all honesty there are days that I put on my underwear inside out because I’m in such a rush to get out the door.

Life is truly great right now and I’m so thankful for where I’m at, but don’t get me wrong there are just as many lows as there are highs.

It’s easy to get caught up in wanting your social media feeds to look bright, beautiful, and appealing to everyone scrolling through. This is the case for me—and yes, lately I’ve been posting the ‘highlights’ of what has been happening in my life.

But that’s exactly what they are, the highlights. I think this is the new norm for everyone so there’s no shame or anything, but what happens behind the scenes—behind the dozens of edits and ‘candid’ pictures that are on my Instagram?

Actually, life has been kind of hectic and a little stressful these last few weeks. My third day being back in Maine I actually ended up in the hospital with RSV.

Did you know this respiratory virus was even possible to get as a young adult, because I sure didn’t? I was sick, sick. I was in bed for three days straight with the worst flu symptoms I’ve ever experienced.

I can’t be the only one who just wants their mom as soon as they get even a slight tickle in the back of their throats right? There I was, 1,700 miles away from home feeling like I had just gotten hit by a train and definitely missing my mom.

After a few days of feeling like death I was recovering and finally had time to unpack my bags. During the process I found some old photos and just simply started missing home. So naturally like any girl who starts to get in her feels, I turned on the saddest playlist on my Spotify and cried the entire time that I was unpacking.

It was a rough few days, I was drained physically and emotionally and I think everything was just hitting me all at once.

I’m still trying to get into a normal routine and get settled in and like I said, it’s been a little stressful at times. I feel like I’m not getting any closer to some of the personal goals I have set for myself, I haven’t been sticking to my budget whatsoever and I definitely haven’t been working out or treating my body very well lately.

But this is life, right? There are the great days when you wake up and conquer the world; and then there are days that your roommate has to take you to the hospital and you show up looking like a homeless caveman who hasn’t showered in four months.

I have seasons of life when I’m working out and eating clean and saving money; and there are times when I binge eat everything in my pantry and spend most of my money over-tipping at the bars on the weekends.

It’s easy to be fooled by my social media feeds that everything is going so well in my life. I mean let’s be honest; do you guys really want to see videos or pictures of Charissa and I the night we got food poisoning? Probably not.

But don’t get caught up in the picture-perfect social media feeds and believe that people are living flawless and effortlessly perfect lives because that’s just not true. I sure know I’m not. Yes, I am having a blast and living a pretty adventurous life—but I still have those bad days just like everyone else.

I enjoy sharing all of the highs with everyone and showing you how awesome traveling and seasonal work can be; but I think it’s also important to be honest and remind everyone that sometimes life just gets hard. You live, and learn, and eventually find ways to balance all of the craziness that comes with it