RECLAIM

People always tell me "Jackie you should write a book...I would read it in a second". I'm not sure if that is a compliment or a slap in the face. I will admit, my life has had its shares of ups and downs....but no matter what has been thrown my way, I have managed to rise from the burning ashes and move on like the boss bitch that I am.

I never have nor will I ever apologize for the things I have said or done in my life. Life is once...and it is meant to be lived. There will only be ONE Jacqueline Castro, and I live life enjoying each second of every day, as there were quite a few times I was pretty sure I was going to die. For some reason God is keeping me around. I'm not sure if he keeps me around because I am meant to do something fucking epic with my life......or because he knows that the way I make people laugh is pretty fucking epic in itself.

This blog isn't about right or wrong. I am not concerned with punctuation or grammar. This is my safe haven. My place to share my thoughts, stories, experiences, and journey with whoever might come across it. This is not a place for judgement (so if you're judging I don't want it), nor is it a place for opinions. It is simply my little space to share the crazy roller coaster ride I call my life. Some of the things that have happened to me are SO unreal, if I heard them from someone else I would think it's total bullshit. Oddly enough....I can't even begin to embellish the events in my life....I really feel it would take away from it.

A little about myself....I am a 27 year old wild child living in the IE again. I filed for divorce after only having been married 2 months (no I am not Kim Kardashian and I would love it if people stop comparing my divorce to hers). I love to laugh, I color in coloring books when I'm stressed. I don't like to take life too seriously because it's too short to do that anyway. I am loyal to a fault and will love you until the day you give me a reason not to. I am a sexual assault victim SURVIVOR. I also suffer from Bipolar Disorder. It is part of who I am, but does not control who I am and I'm pretty fucking proud of that. I am an example of the many living with mental illness who are fully functioning, active members of society spreading a positive light with the world. I live my life without shame (just ask anyone who sees me dancing in my car or butchering 'No Scrubs' at a karaoke bar). I find beauty in the simple things in life.....such as a little Cuban coffee with my grandparents talking for hours about their days in Cuba before coming to the US. The support system I have is unreal. I swear I often pinch myself because it feels too good to be true......I am blessed beyond words and am grateful each and every day for the wonderful people God has placed in my life.

As I mentioned....this isn't a self-help blog, nor is it me looking for your opinions on how to live my life. This blog is my release. My place to share the story of a crazy-random girl living her life the best way she knows how.....freely. These are the raw, unedited, vulnerable, and sacred stories of my life. All of the good, bad, ugly....all of it has played a part in making me the woman that I am.

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear" -Nelson Mandela