Have you ever woken up one day and all of a sudden realized that you were doing exactly what you loved and felt good about your morning?
I had one of those days at the beginning of the year. I realized that 'making' it big wasn't my dream. My dream was sharing my stories with others. I make good money at my day job and it is easy enough that I can come home and write without stressing over work.
Let me back up a minute. Two years ago I was unhappy. I was pouring every drop of my energy into a town that didn't care about me. My husband and I turned ourselves inside out and put blood, sweat, and tears into this place. We loved the people and loved the town. But it took a lot out of us. I was a volunteer firefighter and EMT. He was the volunteer fire chief. It was cold. It was hard. But it was what we loved.
I had a job as a business manager at a university. I loved it too and absolutely adored my coworkers. But I wasn't happy. I was content. Not happy. Trust me there is a difference.
Then things went sideways at the fire department and at the time I had no idea what I was going to do with myself. My husband easily rebounded but so much of me was wrapped up in that town, in that fire department, that I stuttered. I was lost. I was sad. I was broken.
Then I went to see a couple of dear friends at a writer's conference in November 2021. I had been puttering around with writing and I showed them my words. Their responses were overwhelming. So I decided to go with this writing thing. I decided to figure out what actually made me happy - not just content.
So, I did. I finished and published my first two books in 2022. It was amazing. But I still felt awkward. I wasn't happy in the town we were in. So I went looking for a full time job that would let me live somewhere we would be happy and where I could have more time to do what I loved: write and hang with the fam.
January 1, 2024 I woke up and looked up at my ceiling. And smiled. Grinned, actually.
I was happy to be alive, happy to be at my new home, happy and excited to begin writing.
I am where I belong, I truly believe that. I have a great job that makes good money so I can do fun things and then I get to share my books.
Is my journey for everyone? No. I felt like sharing my journey with all of you. It is a great thing to open your eyes and know you are where you should be. The universe took awhile to get back to me but karma finally paid off.
This year I have written 14,000 words in a cozy mystery I am so freaking excited about. I am publishing, posting, and sharing my stories. I am spending time with the fam every chance I get. And? I'm so damned happy!
Share your stories with me and let me know what your eye opening moment was in your life.