Over the past few months, I’ve made some of the most significant strides of my life. I’m proud to say that I’ve gone completely no contact with Mark, finalized our divorce, bought a car for my Latin America journey, and I’m in the final stages of getting my house ready to rent. On May 22, I’m leaving for Latin America — not for a vacation, but for a lifestyle. A new chapter. A new self.

I still think about Mark from time to time, but it’s not like it was before. The longing is gone. What’s left is more of a gentle memory, a quiet observation of what was. That’s how I know I’ve moved on — not because I never think of him, but because I no longer want to go back.

The Unexpected Weight of Healing

As I prepare for this next phase, something unexpected has come up: I’ve started noticing that certain social media posts really trigger me. Posts about porn addiction, dismissive avoidant attachment, and emotional unavailability — they bring up feelings I don’t like. Sometimes, just seeing a post like that will take me back to a space I’ve worked so hard to leave.

Why Triggers Still Happen, Even After Growth

Triggers don’t mean we’re weak. They mean we’ve survived something real.

They mean there was pain that shaped us — but no longer defines us.

For me, those posts are triggering because:

• They reflect a version of me that no longer exists.
• They spotlight a kind of emotional neglect that I’ve finally walked away from.
• They hint at wounds I’ve already healed — and don’t want to reopen.

What I’ve learned is that it’s okay to not want to engage with that content anymore.
It’s not avoidance. It’s discernment.

Protecting My Energy Means Honoring My Progress

I’m not ashamed to say I’ve started curating my content. I mute, unfollow, scroll past, and protect my peace. Not because I can’t handle the truth — but because I’ve already lived it.

I don’t need reminders of what it means to love someone who isn’t emotionally available.

I’ve written that chapter.

I survived it.

And now I’m living a new one.

Moving Forward Means Letting Go — Over and Over Again

Healing isn’t a one-time decision. It’s a series of tiny choices:

• Choosing to protect your energy.
• Choosing to focus on your future, not your past.
• Choosing yourself — again and again.

I’m not the woman who stayed small to make someone else comfortable.

I’m not the woman waiting for someone to meet me halfway.

I’m not the woman who needs closure from someone else.

I am the closure.

Final Thought

If you’re finding that certain content or conversations are bringing up old pain, you don’t have to engage.
You can say, “That was part of my story, but it’s not my identity anymore.”
And then turn the page.

Because healing doesn’t mean nothing ever hurts.
It means when something does, you know how to move through it — and you no longer let it define your life.

I leave for Latin America on May 22.
But emotionally, I’ve already left.
And I’m not going back.

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Uncharted Horizons is about more than travel — it’s about living a life that aligns with who you truly are. And sometimes, the biggest journeys are the ones that begin within.