Susie Evans Calls Relationship with Clayton Echard 'Emotionally Taxing and Not Good for the Soul'
Craig Sjodin/abc
Susie Evans is opening up about the end of her relationship with Clayton Echard.
The former Bachelor contestant, 29, was admittedly in "a pretty low place" prior to her split with Echard, 29.
"The people around me could see that my sparkle had dulled and I was far from thriving," she shared in a post on her new blog Susie Was Like. "Sure, I had joyous moments often, but deep down I was struggling and felt misaligned with the best version of me."
She continued, "I believe this was because I was trying to make something work that just wasn't a natural fit. It's emotionally taxing and not good for the soul."
RELATED: The Bachelor's Clayton Echard and Susie Evans Announce Split: 'Not an Easy Time for Either of Us'
Clayton Echard Instagram
The television personality said her ultimate takeaway from the relationship "wasn't blatantly obvious off the bat."
But, she wrote, "As time passes, I'm starting to realize that my biggest lessons from this breakup may actually have been about understanding myself better and learning how to communicate my expectations."
The wedding videographer also shared her advice for finding a long-term partner.
"What I found in my last relationship is that a partnership rooted in love alone doesn't always have the building blocks to grow tall and strong," she wrote.
She added, "So before you go and fall in love with just anybody, keep in mind that finding a partner that aligns with you on those crucial foundation pieces will more likely set your relationship up for long-term success."
Susie Evans Instagram
RELATED: Bachelor Alum Susie Evans Jokes About Needing to 'Fix' Her 'Entire Life' After Clayton Echard Split
She concluded her post on a positive note, sharing that "so much good" — for both her and Echard — has come from the breakup.
"I think ultimately we are both on our way to finding happiness within ourselves and our passions," she shared. "I know for a fact that we both are rooting each other on from afar. Just because something wasn't forever, it doesn't mean it wasn't wonderful."
Echard and Evans announced their breakup in a joint Instagram post in September. "With incredibly heavy hearts, we wanted to share that we have decided to go our separate ways. For anyone who has ever loved, knows this was a painful decision to make and not one taken lightly," they wrote.
"We understand that there will likely be a lot of questions about this decision — social media is definitely a highlight reel and much of our experiences together we have kept private as I'm sure most can understand," they continued. "But we will share this — although this last year together has brought us so much joy and so many laughs, there has also been a significant amount of pain."
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The two reality stars met on The Bachelor, though Evans self-eliminated from the series. In August, Echard and Evans revealed they were trying to maintain a long-distance relationship.
"We're like, 'We don't know if it's going to be a month-long [relationship] from here or if it's gonna be lifetime but, like, there's no pressure," Echard said at the time. "Let's just love each other and be thankful."
