Let’s Play Catch-Up

Welcome back! Like I said in my last post, the first half of the year has been a wild ride! Plenty of lowlights…a couple of high points…a lot of uncertainty.

The Lowlights

Where do I start? Chronologically might make the most sense. Late last year, I realized I needed another job to supplement my income as an elementary school teaching assistant. Inflation is knocking all of us on our asses, but as a single woman handling rent, a car payment, household bills, gas, and groceries all on my own, I was at my wit’s end. Did I want to take on another job on top of the one I already had? Hell no, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

At this point, I made the decision that I wouldn’t be returning to school after the end of the 2021-22 year. I realized I wanted—no, deserved—a full-time job that pays me well and allows me to live, not just survive.

In January, I found a part-time remote job that uses some of my marketing skills and was able to do that in conjunction with teaching. But y’all, it was exhausting. I pretty much only had time to work, scarf, down food, and maybe get four or five hours of sleep if I was lucky. And I was still trying to write while doing all of that.

In addition to working a part-time job, a full-time job, and writing, I’ve still been dealing with stupid health issues and have been hopping on and off the steroids. But there’s been a new development: I went to a new rheumatologist who did extensive lab work—I’m talking 10 vials of blood—and determined that Lupus was a misdiagnosis and I have an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s Syndrome (which I knew I had before). I get super dry eyes, dry mouth which can lead to more cavities and teeth issues, fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain. While I’m glad that I don’t have Lupus, I still have a chronic illness, and that sucks.

And on top of ALL of that, in April, I lost my grandfather. He’d been on the decline for a couple of years now, but it was still hard to see him go. It comforts me to know that he’s at peace and I hope he’s watching over me and proud of what he sees. I’m trying out here, Grandpa!

All right, so I know the first half of the year sounds hella bleak, but I also had some fun moments. 

The Highlights

During Spring Break in March, I visited my sister down in Florida and spent some time with the baby niece. Since sis works at Disney, I visited my favorite parks, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. I had the best time at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival eating delicious mini-plates and snapping photos of all the cool topiaries, and going on safari at Animal Kingdom, but I did NOT enjoy getting caught in an insane monsoon and flood. I’ll be posting about my Disney visits on July 22 and 29, so make sure you stop back by.

Back here at home, I was determined to find ways to get out of my apartment and infuse more fun back into my life. I signed up for glass fusing classes, a hobby I started 10 years ago, learned some nifty new techniques like kiln carving, and made a couple of gorgeous pieces.

The Uncertain Future

So, what have I been doing since the end of school? Well, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what my ideal life looks like, how I can bring about a better work-life balance, and publishing a fun serial story under a pen name on Kindle Vella.

I’m currently under-employed and ya girl needs some benefits, so I’m really diving into the job hunt this month. A super awesome friend has helped me revamp my résumé and figure out my strengths. These last few months have helped me figure out what I want and need in a job so that I can zero in on positions aligning with my life vision and goals. The big thing is that I want a remote position that allows me to work anywhere in the world (different than a remote position based in the States) and I need to be able to live comfortably on income from that job alone. If you have any leads, hit me up!

I’m still writing, of course. I’m going to write and publish the first season of my serial, and would also love to turn it into a book this year. I want to finish my manuscript in progress, CHAOS, and give it to my agent so we can send it on sub. And after attending ProwritingAid’s Crime Week, I want to take the time to develop the first book in the cozy mystery series I’ve been thinking about since 2009.

And there’s one more big thing looming on the horizon—my biggest adventure yet: potentially moving out of the United States. It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time, but the last couple of years have put things into perspective for me. You only get one life and it’s yours to live. I’m taking my first steps towards this goal by spending three weeks in Mexico next month. I’m heading to two cities on the Pacific coast to feel out a vibe and see if it’s someplace I might like to plant myself (and TinyDog) for at least six months to a year, if not longer.

Why Mexico? When I imagine my ideal life, I’m living by the beach and I can see the ocean from my window. My life is comfortable, dare I say, luxurious without needing a ginormous salary. I also need to be able to take TinyDog without having to quarantine him. In theory, Mexico checks all of these boxes.

At the same time, I could visit and decide la vida Mexicana isn’t for me. And that’s okay; I’ll never know if I don’t try. I do have other countries on my shortlist, but I’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it.

Since my trip is in August, I haven’t really thought beyond that. My apartment lease is up in November, so I’m hoping to make some decisions well before then.

After a tumultuous couple of years, and realizing how many of my dreams I’ve given up in favor of people-pleasing and trying to box myself into situations that don’t serve me, I’m more than happy to let the universe take the wheel. Am I freaked out that I don’t have a job lined up or a clue as to what my life looks like post-August? Absolutely. But the word “courage” keeps popping up where I least expect it, and I’m taking it as a sign that leaning into the unknown will lead me to exactly where I’m supposed to be.