I feel like this blog post is incredibly overdue. So many changes have occurred in my life over the last two months that I can hardly comprehend them all. When I closed my last blog, I had no idea that my next piece would be written in the comfort of my very own home. That’s right, I became a homeowner right before my very eyes. After Thanksgiving break, Noah and I voiced our intent to move back to our hometown after college and that we would be looking for jobs in the area. Strangely after that moment, seemingly haphazard aspects of my life started falling into place. Don’t get me wrong, I had many job rejections and moments of sheer anxiety between early December and now, but I have been able to find some peace in the midst of it all.
It was weird watching my husband and friends return to college for the new semester. Growing up, college seemed like such a distant, advanced magical land that I would maybe enter someday. But now, it’s the past. It’s a past that, for me, wasn’t so magical after all. I could be bitter and be angry at all the people that fueled my college fantasy and/or seem to actually be experiencing college’s wonder. In all honesty, I am struggling to fend off my tendency to do just that. Each day, I am trying to hold on to the mindset that college was a stepping stone for making the rest of my life a better journey. Along the way, I worked jobs that I loved, traveled to Ireland, and met some of the greatest people. Even out of hardship, my love for fitness was born.  Regardless if I ever use my degree, I have to admit that college shaped me into a stronger person and gave me the opportunity to delve into aspects of myself that I may never have had to encounter.
So what now? I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to be a barista at Starbucks. I enjoy being on my feet, my coworkers, and everything that is coffee. While I have only worked there a few weeks, I am already amazed by how something as simple as a cup of coffee has the power to unite people together. I don’t know why, but I just feel in my bones that I am where I am supposed to be. Aside from my job, I am working to be as strong and happy as possible. I train in the gym 5-6 times a week, and I am stu
dying to earn my personal training certification. It’s only one month into the new year, and I have already beat my personal records for squats and chest press. I think a 40-mile radius probably heard me celebrating my squat max last night, but I’m okay with that. Last but not least, I let my talented mother surprise me with new hair color, and I am thoroughly pleased with the red, fiery result.
I have no idea what this year holds, but I do know that I have worked hard to give myself the best stepping stone into my future possible. I think the best steps forward now are to accept the change and to love.
