Why This All Began…

Hi loves!

This is new for me, but I wanted my first blog post to explain the reason behind J . R O S E , so here we go …

I attend the University of Kentucky and when I decided to choose this university as my home for the next 4+ years, I was applying to work towards a doctorate degree.  I did pretty well, grade-wise, for my first year of college. Finishing out my year, I felt like I missed out on so much because I would constantly study and do homework, and never had time to make myself enjoy the new friends, community, and lifestyle I was so excited about.

I have been stuck in a small town my entire life, which is one reason I chose to go out-of-state for college. While my small town holds so much love in my heart, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and go somewhere else. When I arrived at college last year, I did not know a soul. This was scary, but mostly a push to find my group of people since my best friends were nearly 8 hours away.

After the first month of college, I found my people. This was what brought me joy. This was what kept me from never getting homesick. And as I am typing this, that community is the reason I am meant to be in Kentucky, not because of that doctorate degree I once wanted.

For nearly 8 months I had thought about switching my major from Biology to Fashion Merchandising. I was listening to everyone around me instead of listening to myself. Most people talked me out of it because of the job security, money, and the realistic aspect of if I will actually “make it” in the fashion world. I am a very realistic person, and would never consider myself to be the most optimistic human around. So the people that pointed the negatives out to me really glued them into my brain. BUT. Although I may be a realist, I am also a very motivated person. I do not want to settle for the things I work for. I want everything I do to be as close to perfect as possible.

A small town can be amazing but I sometimes felt it as a burden on me. It can make you feel small while I was wanting to be apart of something bigger to express myself. One reason that was in the back of my mind while debating for so long about my future career/major was that those back home would just say that it was “too hard” for me, or that I realized it was “much more work” than people expect. But to be honest, it was hard work, but I also expected that having half of my family go the medical route in school. Hard work does not scare me, but when it results in not paying off and making me content and happy for the life I am working for, there is no point in wasting my hard work.

Last month I decided to finally switch my major and my attitude, motivation, and college life completely changed. I am actually excited about my future. If someone asks what I am wanting to do, I would not be surprised if it does not quite make sense or come to a quick answer. It may not make sense, but I am happy to have a life that I am working towards without the negative comments from the world around me.

J . R O S E is meant to be a place that talks about fashion + beauty + lifestyle, but not suppressed to those three. I created this blog to have the opportunity to write about the things I am passionate about. With that being said, I hope you continue to read my future blog posts & join me on this new journey.

Much love,

Jess