I am on of those people who would call themselves spiritual but not religious-- go ahead and laugh at how absurdly common that is nowadays, but it all started when I was in the elementary school and watched The Craft for the first time. I was totally drawn to the idea of a feminine religion, all about bringing out the power within oneself and connecting with the people and the world around me in extraordinary ways.

My mom was extremely open to letting me explore different religions. She wasn't scared-- as some parents would be-- when she found me sitting in the children's section of the bookstore reading books on witchcraft and Paganism. Instead, she bought me those books along with my first deck of tarot cards and helped me do my fifth grade social studies project on the Salem Witch Trials and modern portrayals of witchcraft.

And in high school, I went through a Christian phase. I don't mean that disrespectfully; every 'phase' I have gone through has been important to me, and has shaped who I am now.

But I just couldn't find an organized religion I wholly connected with. I still feel a connection to Jesus, but I don't view him in the way most organized Christians do, and I feel like he understands that. I feel a connection with other Gods and Goddesses who I fully believe exist within our (and other) realms. I believe in things like chakras and that tarot and horoscopes can help us delve into the inner workings of our personalities and lives. I believe in communication with those who have passed on-- especially as I have experienced it firsthand.

And the honest truth is that my beliefs are in constant evolution. What I know for certain is that I feel a connection to the earth and the people around me. I feel that all things are connected to some degree. I respect the beliefs of others and am interested in learning more about them all, because I believe that understanding with help all of us feel that connection we all have with one another.

I believe a lot of things, but they are hard to put into words. Because I just feel them.

Why am I telling you this? It's a strange little story that doesn't make a lot of sense. But it's the beginning of a new series on my blog: The Spiritual Series. With The Spiritual Series, every so often I'll be discussing aspects of my spirituality. I'll be sharing what I have learned throughout my journey and, hopefully, teaching you a few things about your own spiritual self along the way.

Are you ready? :)

I scroll through my BlogLovin' feed at least a couple of times a day, and I always make sure to check the Popular Posts feature a few times a week also. Lately I've noticed there is one type of blog post taking over both feeds: Blogging Tips and Tricks.

These posts are incredibly helpful and I actually love reading them, but they also make me feel like a bad blogger. Some of these tips and tricks are things I'll never be able to do-- either because I don't have the time or because it just wouldn't be authentic to who I am. Blogging is a hobby for me, one I truly enjoy and would love to one day make a career (or, at least, side-career) out of. But if I'm not being authentic, what's it worth? So here are three blogging rules I'll never be able to follow and why that doesn't bother me.

Post daily. Not only do I work, I try to do creative endeavors outside of blogging on a regular basis. My creative juices are flowing all of the time and spilling out in all different directions (ew, not a good visual). There are just days where I need to do a different creative thing, or focus on work, or just take a mental health day. Posting daily is just not realistic for me, and I don't think it is required in order to be a happy and successful blogger-- though I'm sure it doesn't hurt.

Make sure your blog follows a theme. This is something I see stated pretty often: To be a successful blogger, your blog has to have a theme. Some say readers will get distracted or become uninterested by a blog that jumps from Point A to Point N and back to Point D. I can certainly see how that's true, but it's not how my mind works. I am passionate about a lot of different things. There are some things I'm passionate about that I probably don't even know of yet. And I want to share those passions, no matter what 'theme' they might fall under.

Use your social media to promote. Okay, I do this one. But I don't do it well, if I'm honest, and I definitely don't use my social media solely as a means to promote myself. If you follow my Twitter, expect some cursing and pop-culture references, lame jokes and political mini-rants. If you check out my Instagram, expect nature shots and pictures of my cat. Of course, you'll also see posts about my blog or blog-related interests, but my social media is an extension of my life, which only includes my blog.

Some of you may have noticed my conspicuous absence these past two months. I promise, it was for a good reason: I was finishing up my last semester of college! That's right, I graduated with my degree in Professional Writing (along with a couple of minors and focus areas). And it only took me seven years!

Seven years is actually a pretty long time. It's a lot longer than four years, especially when you have student debt piling up and family members asking you if this is the semester you are finally going to graduate. It used to leave me feeling low, like I was somehow a failure for not completing college in the 'normal' four-year timespan. But what I've come to realize-- and stay with me here, because this sounds very Hallmark-- is that life takes us all down different paths. This path was just a little longer than most. And here's why:

My first four years of college, I changed my major from Education to Criminal Justice to Communications. I enjoyed aspects of each, but what I was really worrying about was the future. Which of these majors would give me the most opportunities? The truth is, none of them would give me the opportunities I wanted. You will find opportunities in any major if you put your heart into it, work hard, and make connections.

But there were other reasons why my heart wasn't in it, and they had to do with my brain. I was starting to have migraines nearly every day and, on top of that, was having some heinous mood swings. When I felt bad, I lacked the energy and motivation to go to class. When I felt good, I felt too good to waste my time in classes I didn't enjoy; I needed to be out living life and doing something more meaningful. What I didn't know what that these were signs of Bipolar Disorder.

After those first four years, my mom got sick. It was more important to me at that time to take care of her, and I was fortunate enough to have the resources with which to do that. The possibility of losing her put things into perspective and gave me a greater sense of purpose. When she recovered, I went to the doctor myself and was given medication for my migraines and my mood disorder. I went back to school and switched my major-- one last time-- to English.

Writing was what I had always wanted to do, ever since I read a notebook full of Dorothy Parker poems in the fourth grade. I found myself surrounded by like-minded people who were creative, fresh, and inspiring. We all supported one another in our writing efforts and it felt amazing. Thinking about it now, I can still feel the surge of electricity and excitement my colleagues brought into my life. For my last three years of college, I remained on the Dean's List, became editor of the school newspaper and literary journal, was elected President of the English Club, joined the Sigma Tau Delta honor society and, most importantly, made some of the most amazing and supportive friends I could have imagined.

It took me seven years to finish college. It was a long journey, but it was worth every second. It has shaped who I am and where my life is headed-- and I'm thinking it's headed to some pretty far out places. Yeah, far out. So if you ever feel like you're falling behind, or you're not where you should be in life, remember that each of our journeys are individual. And one day you will look back on yours and realize why it took the path it did.