Hello Dear Readers! I know it's been a while since I wrote, but I promise there have been good reasons - the pure insanity of my life the last few weeks. But I have to say it feels really good to be back - I am reconnecting with the reason that I moved here and writing to you just seals that for me. Let me explain...
My life has been consumed by work the past three to four weeks. I've been living and breathing my job, with little breaks of back-like-I'm-in-college partying, and the rare night of sleep. It's been an intense few weeks, and I have to be honest, I almost broke there for a few days last week. By Wednesday, I was ready to staple my eyes shut to get some sleep and by Friday, I was prepared to just curl up in my bed and not get back up for a few days. The problem with living halfway across the world from all of your friends and family is you have no check-in. No one that says "Hey Steph, you're running yourself into the ground" or just a simple "Get a freaking grip and breathe, sister." It's surprising how easy it is to start losing yourself when you're disconnected from your grounders in life. But that's what happened to me. I have been so caught up in my job, in doing really well, trying to handle this massive job that probably needs two people to do it some days and making sure I just don't f-up, that I forgot for a little while exactly why I moved here - to change my life, expand myself and LIVE LIFE. I was doing the whole change my life part, and expanding the hell out of myself when it came to work, but the part about living life? Not so much. Unless you want to count the days that I came crawling home from partying at 4:30am, confused as to which door was my own in my (admittedly confusing) apartment building. Doesn't really qualify, right?
So, I was suddenly at a moment where going home popped in my mind and I found myself CONSIDERING it. Then it hit me - I've been here for 100 days, killing it at work, making great friends, have the opportunity for an amazing life, and I'm going to wrap it and call it a day because I have allowed myself to not see beyond the door of my office for 4 weeks? Not okay, Acker, not even an option. Luckily, I've met some good friends here and after some time talking it through, getting out to see the city this past weekend and reconnecting with myself and what I want, I'm feeling much more focused and energized. In fact, suddenly I find myself with all this energy to go out, explore and meet people and it won't stop raining! And when I say raining, I actually mean the kind of storm you see in Florida during hurricane season, but without the tornadoes (they don't even have them here, how weird). So I will settle with getting lots of needed errands done (I'm still only halfway furnished in my house) and hitting up a little bit of quality jacuzzi time.
I've posted some new pics - I'll add more shortly. I went to the absolutely gorgeous Botanical Gardens this weekend and have some great shots, but can't find that pesky camera cord. It's like it knows I'm coming for it and just runs away. Little bastard.
If you're wondering why I've been so work-obsessed, I got that massive strategic project approved. And when I say it will change the way my company does business, it really will. And I'm very proud and excited about that. But now that I've got my head screwed back on straight, I'm going to work hard to keep it that way. Yes, I did move here for a job, but I also moved here for my LIFE. I'm working on the whole balance thing, and while I can't say I have it all figured out, I'm definitely a good work in progress.
Love and kisses to my peeps. More to come soon. Remind me to tell you about the old Chinese men with their coke nail.....
