24 years ago today at 9:15pm I was born. It’s crazy to think that 24 years have already gone by, but I could not be more grateful! Each year I become stronger, I learn and grow more as a woman, more doors open and I get closer to accomplishing all of my dreams.

A year ago today, I blew out my birthday candles and I wished for a year filled with love, adventure, opportunities, and an abundance of happiness. Even though this past year has been filled with a mixture of emotions, my wish ultimately came true. I was surrounded by the love of my family and friends, I went to the number one destination on my bucket list, opportunities graced my path that I could have only dreamed of, and I had an overload of happiness because of the woman I was becoming! Being 23 was a blessing and definitely set the bar high for what being 24 will bring!

I am currently on a plane heading to Shreveport, Louisiana!! So yes, I am actually traveling on my birthday! But, I always tell people that I would live out of a suitcase if I could, so this is a perfect way to kick off being 24 years old. Plus, I am doing some very exciting things while I am down there for the weekend so be sure to tune into my insta-story (@realsummerpriester) to find out what I am up to!

But anyway, since it’s my birthday I thought it would be fun if I shared a combination of 24 facts about myself that you may or may not know and things that I have learned thus far in life! So, here we go!

  1. I am an only child. When I was younger I did not like the fact that I didn’t have a sibling, but now I have accepted it and appreciate the family that God gave me!
  2. I was an extremely picky eater up until 4 years ago… I wouldn’t eat any fruit or veggies.. my daily order was a cheeseburger from McDonalds, hold the burger (basically a grilled cheese). I have come a long way… my palette is a little more sophisticated these days!
  3. I use to be a pointe ballerina! I took ballet for 15 years and I was part of the Aiken Civic Ballet Company for 5 years.
  4. I am terrified of frogs… don’t ask me why, they just freak me out!
  5. I started college as an art major but after my first semester I switched to fashion merchandising and retail.
  6. I am a makeup junkie (y’all probably already knew that)
  7. I went to a private school all the way up until 8th grade. Yes, I had to rock a uniform!
  8. I consider myself an organized hoarder! Y’all are probably scratching your head and wondering what in the world is that… well since I was a kid I loved to collect things, and still to this day I find myself collecting items, however everything is very organized.
  9. I am a Marvel Comic movie fanatic!
  10. I am a hopeless romantic and love all the cheesy stuff.
  11. When I was younger I wasn’t the biggest fan of my name, I just wanted something normal. Now, I am so glad that I have this unique name!
  12. You would think that I am a graceful person because I was a ballerina and I have done pageants… unfortunately “grace” is not my middle name! However, I do a lot better in a pair of heels than flats!
  13. I was in a sorority in college… ADPI!!!
  14. I have traveled to 23 states and 4 countries!… I don’t plan on stopping there, my goal is to visit all 50 states!
  15. I actually have a grey streak in my hair… I have had it since I was 10 years old!
  16. I have learned that not everyone is going to like you and that you are going to get criticized and judged no matter what you do. This was hard for me to realize, I don’t like disappointing people and I don’t like confrontation. One day I finally just had to accept myself and overlook the critiscm and negativity I was enduring. I am not perfect, nor will I ever be, but I am perfectly me and that makes me happy. You just have to remember to do your thang and make sure you are living the life you want to live and not worry about those haters!
  17. Never take anything for granted, and always be appreciative of all opportunities! I owe my parents for this one!
  18. Don’t try to control the outcome! Now this is a hard one for me, I like to have control on all aspects of my life, walking into the unknown is a terrifying feeling for me. For years I have tried to control the outcome of friendships, my career, etc. This past year I realized “it is, what it is”. My motto now and forever is “everything happens for a reason”. Just accept it and embrace it! Everything will fall into place. You may not understand the reasoning at this moment but one day it will all make sense!
  19. Cherish your relationships with your family and friends!
  20. Allow God to guide you!
  21. Nothing is handed to you. If you want something, it’s up to you to make it happen!!
  22. Radiate love and find every excuse to smile and laugh!… makes life so much better!
  23. Don’t let fear get in the way. Throughout the years I have dealt with this, believing I wasn’t good enough, terrified of disappointing people, and even worried about failing. But I have learned that in order to grow and get closer to your dreams that you must take risk and never let fear limit you!
  24. Not being embarrassed by my imperfections! Now this has been a big struggle to overcome and I know I’m not the only one out there who has had to deal with this! Most of the time I am very confident in who I am and what I look like, but occasionally I catch myself doubting myself or feeling embarrassed. Something that I am embarrassed about and an insecurity I have battled with is my skin. I have acne-prone skin (lucky me) and through out the years it has left me with hyper pigmentation and marks. But I have learned that those marks do not define who I am and they don’t take away from the person that I am!

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this blog post! I just wanted to be more vulnerable with you guys and allow y’all to get to know Summer Priester a little bit better! Now I am going to go eat a cupcake because it’s my B-Day!

Priestsj
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