Welcome & Thanks for stopping in!
My name is Ashley, though I prefer Ash. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, but now live with my boyfriend and our beautiful pitbull mix, Riley, in Arizona. I have an old-soul with a wild-woman fire, and that you’ll come to know.
In my graduate year of college, shit hit the fan and thus blossomed an unexpected beautiful journey that has since changed the course of my life.
I spent years of my life trying to be someone I am not – someone I thought I “should be.” I do not consider those years to be a waste, but a lesson in finding my soul-full authentic self. So really – who is Ash? I’m obsessed with elephants (like really obsessed), I’m a slightly-crazy dog lady, I dance gracelessly all over the place, I love coffee in the morning, wine in the evening, and nature alllll day long. I swear shamelessly, I say it how I see it, I sugar coat nothing – but I aim to spread only love. The world needs more of that. I think spiders are satan’s creation, elevators are an accident waiting to happen, bras suck, running is torture, and I can’t stand when people don’t use their blinkah.
I also think know I’m hilarious. I’m loud & I didn’t find my laugh until college. That’s loud too 😉
As for my journey… If we want to go way back, I started to spiral freshman year of high school. It was almost immediate – like my induction into high school was complete consumption by my shadow self; my ego. Her dark side offers a history riddled with mental mishaps, a rock bottom that would make the deep sea fish swim away, and an unpleasant amount of physical pain manifestations due to my chaotic internal world (queue the Spongebob episode where his brain is on fire and all the mini Spongebobs are helplessly screaming). I battled all the way through college, going in and out of my dark place. Depression to be blunt.
The positive change finally began in February of 2017 with my learning how to cook more than toast and cereal. My very patient college roommates taught me how to cook, and how to eat better all around – THANKS GUYS! Fast forward to October, and that’s when said shit hit the fan – and damn did it get everywhere. I fell into a strong depression and retreated into my rock bottom rabbit hole. This time though, I hit my breaking point. Something had to give.
I sat on the surface level of growth for a couple years, and it was in March of 2020 when I finally went all in. That’s when I broke through that surface level, went deep into my inner world, and learned how to grow and heal on a soul level.
So shit got real. And it has been no walk in the peachy little park – there have been countless efforts of self-sabotage, excuses up the wazoo, and multiple ruts of falling back into old habits. That’s the reality of awakening though; there are hard times & good times, ups & downs, ebbs & flows, successes & all out fucking failures. There has been pain, trauma, hurt, and bad decisions. There has also been beauty, gratitude, growth, and learning. Yin and yang, my friends.
And so – this blog is a reflection of my journey, all the paths it has taken, and all the paths to come. I’ve learned there are no quick fixes, and that true success lies within building a lifestyle you can fall in love with step by step, day by day. There really is nothing like the promotion of personal growth, positive change, and the power of knowledge.
I share all kinds of information, tips & tricks, and encouragement to help you nourish your mind, body, and soul. I also share whatever the heck I feel like sharing! Take a look around and subscribe to join me on this beautiful journey (don’t worry, I’m not into email spam). & Don’t hesitate to reach out, my social links are at the bottom of the page! I love connecting with new people and learning new things – we’re all in this together!
With Love, light & good vibes,
Ash xx
