w o r k & p l a y

Hello friends!
It's been quite a while since I've had a chance to sit down and write and I'm so happy to be relaxing on my couch right now with a glass of wine (maybe watching the Bachelorette...) and taking a moment to reflect on the past couple of weeks. 

After the amazing week spent with family and friends for Kevan and Rebekkah's wedding, James and I were able to relax and lay low for a couple of wonderful weeks. We took the dogs to the beach, cooked dinner together, read books, and slept late! It was so nice after the stress of my previous job and API. However, during this time, through a series of crazy events, I came in contact with a wonderful real estate agent who ended up hiring me as her transaction coordinator while i work on getting my real estate license! It was such a relief after worrying about being able to find a job, and i couldn't be happier or more excited about how this job is going :)

This week is my second week at work and i feel like I'm finally settling in and understanding my place in the office. Even though the hours are a little longer than I anticipated, the time goes incredibly fast and I am learning SO MUCH about real estate in florida. It's very different from the rules and regulations in NC but luckily my three years in NC have given me a great platform to jump from and i can't wait to see where this goes.

On a completely separate note, I have somehow let Rebekkah talk me into running a half marathon with her in October! And I'm actually really excited about it. For my whole life I have lived under the impression that i can not physically run because i am a fat kid stuck in a skinny kids body. Welp, this experience has proven that...I was right hahahaha 

At this point in time, I can run a 12 minute mile without dying, which is two minutes more than i ever thought possible! You would think that after being a dancer and growing up as a fairly athletic person, I would be able to run, but that is not necessarily the case. There are three months though before the half marathon and the training program we are using seems to be keeping me on track so far...fingers crossed!

And the best part about this half marathon is that its in Durham! I can't wait to go back and see everyone and hopefully complete this crazy race before they close down the track and send everyone home ;) On that note, any tips on running are welcome in the comment below! I can use all the help I can get!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

m i l l e n n i a l m u t t e r i n g s

mondays always have a way of sneaking up on me. i remember being in school and saving all of my homework for sunday night (or monday morning...)and immediately starting the countdown to the next friday. wouldn't it be great if every day was as exciting as friday? i mean obviously we all love the weekend because, well, its the weekend! no work, all play :) i want to love what i do so much that everyday is as great as a friday! 

generationally speaking, a job can be fun but its still a job. we are all expected to have not only a job, but a single career for our entire lives. its almost assumed that you won't love it, but you do your work because you have to. because its what people do. i think that our generation has done an exceptional, if not fully understood or accepted, job of showing that fluidity and change in the workplace is a good thing! you don't have to start on this long career path when you're 23 and move up the workplace food chain until you turn 65 and hopefully retire with enough money to live out the rest of your life. millennials have shown that there are many different paths and careers that a person can take and still have an influential, productive, and awesome work life. 

don't get me wrong! i don't think there is anything bad about having a single career for ones entire life. some paths like those of doctors, scientists, engineers etc... come with an incredible amount of schooling. the bottom line is, different people are happy doing different things in different ways. 

personally speaking though, i would be so bored if i did just one thing for my entire life! real estate is a great job for me because you can make your own schedule, you get to meet lots of people, and you rarely sit still. its a problem solving career that is always changing. its also a job where you get out of it what you put into it. if you want to make money, you have to get out there and work for it. this part was difficult to learn at first, but making money to pay your bills is a pretty great motivator ;)

being surrounded by so many great people who are down in pensacola for the same reason as me, the reason being they have a significant other in flight school, I've learned that being creative and fluid in your job/career choices is not only a positive thing but a necessity. I've met women who are yoga instructors, real estate agents, food industry workers, nannies, stay-at-home moms, independent Etsy sales people, you name it! its absolutely incredible. some people may look down on having many different jobs in different fields but i think its an asset! who wouldn't want to have tons of options and life skills? its much harder to get bored, thats for sure!

another important thing about job fluidity is that it allows you to enjoy the NOW more. it seems like when people are in a set career they're always working towards some unspeakable end in a way that completely ignores how the person is feeling now. goals are great, they help get shit done, but it is so important to enjoy the little things that happen daily and not get so wrapped up in the future that you wake up one day 50 years down the line and wonder where your life went. thats why i am using this new beginning (career-wise, and location-wise) to focus more on doing things that make me happy. i want to work hard and make money so that i can travel to crazy places, do new activities, and experience things fully all the time, not just when i turn 65 and retire. 

there are so many options for things to do that get you out in the world that don't necessarily have to do with work. take a class just for fun because you want to learn something new! get scuba certified, heck get yoga instructor certified (it could come in handy one day haha). train to run a half marathon even though the only time you 'run' is when you think you're being chased by zombies! these are all things that i plan on doing before this year is over and I'm sure that list will change and grow throughout the months, but i think its important to have this list. everyone should have a fun to-do list, or a bucket-list. even if you can't do everything on it right when you want to, its still fun to take it out and look at it so that you are able to remember not to take things so seriously. were only given this one life, and i think we should all make the most of it!

whew! okay, monday morning rant over :)

E

g r a t i t u d e & a t t i t u d e

the beginning of july has come and gone, and with it, a wonderful week of revels with family and friends. we celebrated the marriage of Kevan & Rebekkah (J's sister and brother-in-law) with a week-long extravaganza of seafood, music, funny stories, and heartfelt thanks as these two wonderful families came together and it was such a beautiful experience to be a part of! 

my parents were also in town during the wedding week so i was finally able to show them around pensacola and give them a glimpse into out little life down here. the name of this post is 'gratitude & attitude' because sometimes it takes a big event, like a wedding, to realize how much the little things in life matter. showing small, everyday bits of gratitude for the people and things in your life makes a huge difference in how you feel and carry yourself.

one of the big things that has been bringing me down recently was my job as a nanny here in pensacola. i unfortunately let the poison of that job filter into other aspects of my life and make me miserable. i honestly don't know what i would have done without the support of my amazing friends and family as i struggled to get out of that contract. i allowed my entire being to lose its light and just coming home and making dinner after a day at work became a chore. however, with the encouragement of james, my beautiful friends, and my awesome family, i decided to quit my job (yikes!),get my real estate license in florida, and continue selling houses down here as well as in nc!

today was my first 'unemployed' day and i have to admit that although liberating, it was a little nerve-wracking to realize i don't currently have a job! luckily, through connections we've already made down here, i have a job lined up with a real estate firm as soon as i complete my 72 hour online course. whew! talk about a relief!! sometimes you have to suck it up and make a change, be it a change in scenery, job, or attitude, and in this case i changed a little bit of all three. its scary making huge life changing choices, but without change there is no room for growth :)

as i sit here reflecting on how crazy the last week was, i am struck by the enormous gratitude i feel for the love and encouragement of the people in our life. no matter what is going on in life, through the highs and lows, the happiness and the sadness, the worry and doubt, and all of the beautiful, messy moments in between nothing would hold any meaning without these kooky, sweet people we call our family and friends. i wish it didn't take a job change and a wedding for me to realize this but sometimes we all need a little kick in the ass, right? 

i am also thankful for the super great NEW friends we were able to make because of Kevan and Rebekkah's marriage. its so crazy to think about how much light there is in the world, and how many wonderful new people and experiences are out there, if we could only just change the lens we look through and have a more open and positive attitude. so, in the wake of a truly awesome fourth of july week, i am making a promise to myself and all of you, to be a more positive, optimistic, and encouraging person DESPITE the darkness in life. because lets be honest, we've all got it pretty darn good! and if something isn't gelling with your vision of how you want your life to be, CHANGE IT!! FOR GOODNESS SAKE, just jump off that metaphorical cliff and take life by the horns! 

i hope that all of you had a great week! and if ever you feel some part of your life is not going in the right direction, remember that its never too late to change it. tell the people in your life that you love them, help a stranger, laugh A LOT, ask people how they are and CARE about the answer, and never ever ever settle for something less than absolute happiness!

<3 E
p.s James, im also thankful for the vacuum...those stairs would have been nightmare without it ;)

(this last photo was taken by Jerry Padgett Photography)