Then and Now

It's the end of a year and I was sitting in ze cube thinking about how much things have changed for me since last year at this time.

Last year I was working at a restaurant job that I didn't like (however with several co-workers that I love and still see) while I searched frantically for work back home in Tennessee and locally in PA.

I was pretty unhappy with living here in PA and craved the South so much I couldn't listen to country music without getting teary. How pathetic is that?

My husband and I were both waiting on pins and needles to hear about a possible major job change for him. And we were basically trying to hate everything about where we live because it's not a place we would choose to be. We were desperately clawing to be back where we were comfortable; especially me. I wanted to be back in TN, where I'd had a job that was really challenging, but had a lot of potential. Where I know people and had a lot of friends, where I felt successful. Where my family was closer to me. In short, I was making my and hub's life miserable.

I guess time made things easier for me. We moved to a place that felt more like home than an overpriced, extended stay hotel. The weather warmed, I got a new job with a better schedule, I got out and joined a new yoga studio, we found a church we both like. In short we started actively trying to enjoy ourselves!

Taking a daily walk through the historic downtown area (when weather permitted) was one of my favorite things to do this Summer and it led us to explore our area a bit more. That helped us find some places that would become our favorites. We reached out and made some friends and tried some new things. We did our fair share of travelling (which anyone who knows me knows my destination list is pretty long) and I'm excited for 2010's adventures! I came to see that the job I left behind was not the end-all-be-all of my career and left myself open to big changes in my career. However, I'm being patient about them.

I guess the biggest change of 2009 is that I made the choice not to settle. At the beginning of this year I was applying for every awful job that was open in TN, trying to move back there. And I was mad at my husband for not applying for every job. He said he didn't want to go from a current job he doesn't enjoy to another job he doesn't like. At the time, it felt like he was being selfish, but really he was being mature. And, I'm there now. As much as I want to be back in TN close to my family with all my friends who are still there, I'm not going to settle.

Now is the time to have an adventure. We're young, healthy and have no good reason to turn down a new challenge. I've proven to myself that I can be happy far from home. I can adapt and find the good in any situation and I can do it again if I need to. 2009 has made me stronger, made my marriage stronger and cemented my little family together. We can handle anything; and I am more confident of that now than ever!

So I guess my message to 2010 is "bring it on." I'm ready. I can move anywhere and make it. I've got my goals for myself personally and professionally for this year and I categorically refuse to settle.

Happy New Year people! I'm going home! Nashville here I come! :)