In the Beginning
When we started down the path of marriage one of our big conversations was work-life balance. I was about to graduate college and Colin was well on his way in his career. Colin and I first, we met in a chat room but we really didn’t know each other. We had the same friend groups, but most of us were all virtual friends that would meet up a few times a year. And somehow, I met Colin connected online and our friendship bloomed. We spent hours upon hours talking on the phone and getting to know each other. We never dated online but I was truly in love with him. In a terrible fight I had with my in-person boyfriend he yelled “Why don’t you apply to College out by the guy you really love.” And so I did…. Colin and I officially started dating about a week after I moved to Virginia and we haven’t stopped.
Colin’s dad died at 56 and we knew when we started talking marriage we did not want to live a life that Colin grew up with. Colin wanted to travel often, from day trips to month long excursions. His dad worked an amazing career but never got the chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor. In addition, Colin didn’t feel like he had a good relationship with his dad and he didn’t want that for his children.
We made a choice that we’d work enough to live a very comfortable life, save for retirement but most importantly, enjoy life. It is more important for us to have an amazing vacation every year than it is to save rigorously and hope to enjoy it years to come. Please hear me out, our retirement is solid and we live very well but we also don’t live outside our means. We don’t do debt and live a cash flow positive lifestyle.
My hope and dreams for these book clubs and blog posts are to inspire others and start a change in how we see our relationships.
Let the Story Begin
I would have never described myself as a writer, in fact I’d say I was far, far from a writer. And yet, here I am.
A blog was born to share all my life experiences and this journey of self discovery because lets be honest, an Instagram post it sometimes just not long enough. If you knew me from a very young age, you probably know my old nickname, “No Filter.” I was known for being the one that said all the things everyone was thinking, but no one wanted to say them (have you met my son, Andrew? I don’t have a clue where he gets it). The reality is, I was telling people things they weren’t ready to hear and in a way they weren’t ready to hear it. I’m a work in progress and my filter has gotten a lot better but there are some things that deserve to come through.
This season it’s about lessening my filter and sharing about these amazing things that have gone right in my life so that they can maybe do the same for you. I’m also calling you to action to join an upcoming book club and share away at the stories, posts and encounters with me that touch your life. Be sure to tag me along the way too!
Every day is a new and I want to share all these positive changes right as they happen. My learning to work less and joy life more forces me to choose. It hurts but transformation I’m having is so good I want you, your friends… anyone I can reach to feel.