There is something unique about the last year of a decade.
Lessons from the past few years come full circle, and everything tends to feel a bit more nostalgic.
2019 was ordinarily, out of the ordinary. My life will continue to be anything but normal, but hey – that’s how I like it.
If your interested in knowing a little bit about my experience and major take-ways from the past year, continue reading My 2019 Year in Review.
The Phone Call
On new years eve 2018, after at least one mid-day mimosa, I received a call informing me that I was being offered a position I had applied to in St. Petersburg, FL. This was key information for two reasons:
1. Jason had received a fantastic job offer in St, Petersburg and we would be relocating in the spring.
2. Being on a TN Visa, I needed to find a CTRS job in St. Petersburg for me to be able to relocate.
Was I up for the challenge? Oh friend, you know I was.
No matter what hurdle I had to jump over, or what door slammed shut in my face during the process, I was determined to brush myself off and re-focus my efforts to find a window instead.
Things do not always come easy for ya girl, but if I have my mind made-up that I’m going to do something, well you know that I’m going to do the dang thing.
Time to Say Goodbye
Spring came, and it was time to say goodbye to my home in Memphis and my position at Youth Villages, where I lived and worked for a year and a half.
That may not seem like a long time, but it is long enough to develop friendships and connections that are hard to say goodbye to. To sum up my Memphis experience, here are the three greatest lessons I learned during this time (in no particular order):
1. You can only imagine the impact you made in the life of another person, especially while working with children and youth.
2. When supervising a team, trust is built through consistency and follow-through, not authority.
3. Memphis really does have the best BBQ.
Hello Salty Breeze
FLO-RA-DA…. amirite?!
After going home to Halifax for a few weeks to re-apply for my new TN Visa, I arrived in St. Petersburg on May 11th. Prior to living here, I thought Florida was full of only spring-breakers and retired people.
To my very pleasant surprise, my expectations have been blown out of the clear-blue water (…sea what I did there).
Also, my new job ended up being a home run.
Working in the community as a CTRS for a Parks and Recreation Department has been a total change of pace for me. I am grateful for every job experience my life provides me with, but this one already has a very special place in my heart.
Both Feet on the (Sandy) Ground
I’m a 7 on the Enneagram. If that is a term you are familiar with, you understand that my default is to seek out adventurous, exciting, and unfamiliar experiences.
When people ask me how I can move around so much, I attempt to explain that it would be much more difficult for me to stay in one place.
So here I find myself, with a new strange challenge in my life.
Deciding to stay in one place. Florida, I hope you’re ready.
Choosing to Look-up
I had a hard experience a few years back that impacted my life greatly. I did all the necessary things to work through it, but I still held onto the pain.
Time passed, and my life began to get good, like really good.
I found an amazing partner with the sweetest doggo in the world, my career continued to flourish, and I began this online journey of blogging and personal growth.
And yet, something was still off.
It felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Worried about being “truly happy” because it all could be taken away at any given moment.
Then, one day it hit me like a ton of bricks.
If I continue to walk through life, looking down to avoid the pain of falling, I’ll never be able to appreciate the beautiful sky right above me right now.
So here I am at the end of 2019, intentionally choosing to look-up in awe of the beauty around me at all times.
Friends, 2019 was big, but I have incredible things planned for 2020 that I cannot wait to share with you all. Until then, I’m sending you all my love <3
I’d love to know, what are your biggest take-aways from 2019?
What you are looking forward to most in 2020.
Let me know below 🙂
