Category Archives: just because

Sometimes you come to a crossroad in life. Woah. Shiz just got deep up in here. No, but seriously. There are times when your life reaches a breaking point, and you have to make some decisions--usually big, scary adult decisions--about where you think you need to go next.

I've had several of these decisions in my life--english or social work? Stay and finish school or drop out to get better? Logan or Salt Lake City? Law school or graphic design? Muesli or Apple Jacks? Just kidding on the last one. Although Muesli is delicious.

I recently came to another one of those pesky crossroads, and it was one I didn't want to deal with. At all. Mostly because it was scary but definitely because it would require an enormous leap of faith.

I quit my job.

Whaaaat? Crazy, I know. In fact, after quitting, I've been making that face a lot.

After working through an absurd amount of jobs, I finally had a full-time graphic design position for an Apple reseller. It was very exciting, I gained 2 years of exceptional design experience, and got to dabble in things I never thought I'd be able to--billboards, product packaging, social media--but I'm a firm believer that individuals are meant to be challenged, and after two years, I wasn't feeling creatively/socially/personally fulfilled.

So, here I am today. I've scooped ice cream, sold Vans shoes, hated life as a bank teller, cooked at a rest home, interned for a science journal,  made a breakthrough as an intern at the Vice President for Research office, wrote software manuals and hated it, wrote more at an information design company, almost shot myself working at a law firm, blogged for a radiant heating company, then found my calling as a designer at an Apple reseller.

But sometimes once you think you've found your calling, you realize that you really haven't found it at all and there's an entire journey ahead of you. At this point all of these jobs have showed me what I don't want to do, and now it's time to find out what I do want to do.

And thus this crazy journey begins. I'm now going to be a work-from-home champion working for Blowfish and loving life completely. I'll be filling in the cracks with freelance and some blog design. I cleaned out my office today ande made my new little workspace a home. All a bunch of little steps to hopefully get me one step closer to finding my calling in life, whatever that may be.

I quit my job on December 30, meaning 2012 started off as one enormous ball of optimism and enthusiasm. I couldn't be more excited to be working for such an awesome company and working from home. Of course, I'd be lying if I said the last two weeks at my design job haven't been bitter sweet--I'll miss all of the incredible opportunities I was a part of there along with my cooky coworkers. It was certainly a 2 years I will look back on fondly.

But--bottom line--this crossroads I've reached at age 24 required me to make this decision. Sometimes you have to grow up even if you really don't want to. Decisions can be scary, but from all the silly decisions I've made thus far in my life, I've found that each one brings a profound sense of confidence and self-meaning when all is said and done. No matter the ramifications of said decisions, good or bad, you always glean something meaningful about your life and learn something that helps you later in life--confidence, compassion, understanding, wisdom, all of the above.

Now onward to 2012 with joyful hearts filled to the brim with hope! Oh, and really the best part about this decision--being a full-time cat mom. I know one cat that's stoked about the sun in the new office...

Happy Wednesday!

Well wouldn't you know it? It's already Friday! We have all successfully made it through our first post-holiday week. How are you feeling? Rough? Me too. But onward to the weekend!

Lately I've been loving a lot of things--mostly Christmas gifts I can't get enough of. And in an effort to seek out the small things that make my days great, here are a couple of things I'm loving this weekend.

Walking into my biohazard zone craft room and finding Royal completely wedged inside my new tablet box. He's crazy. There's not a box Royal met he hasn't liked.

My amaaaaaaaaaaazing fox gloves my friend Mel made for me! Mel is easily the most talented person I know. I asked her to make me some of these fox mittens, and I about died when she showed me the finished product. Mel, thank you! And be sure to stop by her shop! She's immensely talented!

These silly iPhone cases. I got the black cat one for Christmas and couldn't resist buying the white cat and the bear, too! They're so cheap!

And be still, my Star-Wars-loving heart. These two prints Mitchell got for me are my most beloved prints yet. Oh, Chewie! You scoundrel! You can get yours at this cute shop.

Lastly, I'm loving this unseasonably warm weather we're having. Usually Utah is being barraged with snow and face-melting cold, so these 50-degree temps are strange. Very strange INDEED! But I'll take it!

What are you loving today?

Someday when I'm old and rich (yeah right) I will go to breakfast every day. After working as a cook in a rest home, I realized that once you're 80, you pretty much do whatever you want, so I'll take life up on that and go out to breakfast every single day.

Until then, Mitchell and I go just about once a week. It's imperative to our survival. This week we hit up Ruth's Diner--a Utah local favorite. It's a sweet diner in an old trolley car straight out of 1949. The lady who started it was a cabaret singer in Salt Lake City from 1912-1916 basically meaning that Ruth's is the coolest place to eat breakfast in the valley.

These "mile-high biscuits" right here are the closest to heave you'll ever get as a mere breakfast-eating mortal. I guarantee it.

Well, 80-year-old self, I'll be there in a few, and we'll eat this asparagus/pepperjack omelette every day. Also, I really should write a post about working in that retirement home someday. Oh, the shenanigans!

What's your favorite breakfast joint?