Getting Back to Business

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been over a YEAR since my last post.

I feel like I have to perform blogger penance or something. Can we say slacker? Or can I just chalk it up to an intense case of writer's block?

Truth be told, I had some difficulty clarifying the focus and cohesive theme of my posts. Looking back, I see they are a little...well...all over the place. Sort of like my mind at the time. Since then, my life has gone through a bit of an upheaval, and I've had a lot of time to reflect and reassess.

Last April, while Boyfriend (who will henceforth be known by his real name, Sean) and I were on vacation in Key West, we received word that my mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Needless to say, it was a blow that shook my family to its very core. You never believe it could happen to you or your loved ones, and it is especially shocking when found in someone as young as my Mom. Luckily, it turned out to be Stage 1 and the growth was surgically removed without any major catastrophes. Now Mom has to return for yearly check-ups to monitor any potential problems, and my sisters and I have become more vigilant about our health and well-being. The experience brought the family closer together. We are definitely some of the lucky ones.

Shortly before Mom's surgery, I was in for another surprise...although the nature of this one was much nicer. After nine years of unwedded bliss, Sean popped the question!

I'm ecstatic. We're planning on an October 2012 wedding and I have so much to do! I don't even know where to begin, and we've already been engaged almost a year.

Last but not least, I willingly made a major change at the end of August. I left my job as Project Manager of a small investment and development firm and took the plunge into the unknown. I wasn't on the career path that was best for me, and, though I had some amazing experiences with the firm, I finally realized I was extremely unhappy. The idea was to go back to school full-time, complete an internship or two, and settle into a new, exciting career.

Well...it sort of happened.

Admittedly, the whole going-to-school-full-time-thing hasn't really worked....part-time is about all I can handle. But I did complete an awesome internship. And I did settle into a brand new career path, in a round about way.

Currently, I am an Assistant Manager at Fishs Eddy in Flatiron and I'm loving EVERY MINUTE of it! I worked in retail years ago and told myself I would never go back. Ha! Famous last words. I love my coworkers and staff, and I really enjoy the company culture and familial atmosphere. It's a very supportive environment which encourages all of us to use our own unique talents. For instance, I'm not just doing standard managerial tasks; I am also heavily involved with the company's social media campaign, monitoring and analyzing web traffic and statistics, and I am working on completely revamping the company's bridal registry business. It's a great learning experience...kind of like an internship within a job. I don't think I'd have the opportunity to do these sort of tasks anywhere else, and my level of job satisfaction is through the roof. I haven't been this happy in a long time.

Looking back on 2010, I feel like I've completed a journey, and now I'm beginning a new one. So, circling back around...what is the point of this blog? Where do I go from here?

Ultimately, this blog will serve as my online journal as I continue to build my life and move towards my goals. As before, it will involve my little misadventures and exploits, and I will undoubtedly be my own snarkiest critic. You can look forward to (un)successful cooking attempts, wedding planning hijinks, my eternal desire (and failure) to be creative in a craft-y sense, general musings about my life, my community, and things I generally find to be important. If you're interested, please follow along and enjoy. If not...well, I won't be insulted if you pass on through. Promise.

~K