the year of yes

“Don’t ask God to guide your footsteps if you aren’t willing to move your feet”

With recent inspiration from a friend who picked up her blog again (Duly Noted - read it!) I thought it was fitting to start back up as well. Seeing that my last blog was one year ago, I have a lot to reflect back on.

When we last left off, I was having the time of my life in Chicago. After being in the Windy City for a year, I was really starting to feel at home and as though I truly belonged there. 

The friendships I made in Chicago are stronger and more real than I ever thought post-college relationships would be and even after moving back to the East Coast, nothing has changed. Looking back, I’m thankful for the not-so-amazing job that resulted in me working with this fabulous group of girls.

Fall of last year I decided that Washington D.C. was going to be my next big move. I was growing more and more interested in the legal and regulatory workings of corporations and found myself wanting a position that enabled me to be in the thick of things politically speaking. One of the great perks of my old job was the professional connections you made with individuals you worked with from all across the country. I was lucky enough to find a mentor who realized my potential and helped me secure an interview with the premier aerospace trade association in D.C. 

In the meantime, I began moving preparations to pick up my life again and move from Chicago to the nation’s capital. Deciding to move and actually moving are two very different things. Sure, I had moved from Florida to Chicago after college, but I had lived in Florida my whole life and was ready for a change. The decision to leave Chicago after I was just starting to feel at home was extremely difficult. Although I miss Chicago every day, I will never regret making the move and following my heart -literally and figuratively- to D.C. 

Although it was a wonderfully liberating and empowering experience to pick up my life and move across the country to a city where I knew no one and had not secured a job in - it was hands down the most terrifying and difficult thing I have ever done in my life. In my year and a half in Chicago, I experienced my lowest of lows but also enjoyed my highest of highs. And for this – for having enough courage and faith in myself to do something a lot of people wouldn’t – I’m proud of my story.

Fast forward to the present and I’ve been living in D.C. for about 7 months now. I knew from experience moving to a new place and starting over was hard but knowing that didn’t make it any easier. 

My new job is completely different than the position I left in Chicago. It is interesting and challenges me every day. It keeps me on my toes and makes me want to 'keep up' with what is happening in national and current events, not the Kardashians. 

Even though the days are longer and the work is harder, I am finally able to say “I love my job” without crossing my fingers behind my back, and that is truly a great feeling.

Since my last post, I’ve also had a new addition to my life. If you and I ever talk, I am certain you’ve been bombarded with photos and videos of my 10 month old Wheaten Terrier even if you didn’t ask (or care) to see them.

After years of waiting and being patient, Kyle and I found Ollie from a breeder in Texas and had her sent to my home in Jacksonville the day before Thanksgiving. I shipped everything to D.C. and quit my job mid-November so I could come home and spend the holidays with my family in Florida, which was the perfect amount of time to house-break a puppy. She has the best little personality and is undeniably adorable and friendly. She's never met a person (or a sock!) she didn't automatically love.

For the purpose of only writing a blog post and not a novel, I’ll wrap up on that note! Until next time..

xo

AG