Just over a year ago, I wrote a list in my journal: What I want to be when I grow up. (Granted I'm over 40, but I've still rarely feel “grown up.” That usually only happens when I have to do something like taxes or insurance.)
Here are some of the occupations that are on my list:
- fabric designer
- farmer
- artist
- vintage sales
- writer
- traveler
- house flipper
- overseas development
Slightly random, I know. But there are trends: creating beauty and living adventure-fully.
I not sure what or when or how or even if, I could attempt any of these. But, I'll keep exploring some of the ideas on this list.
Farmer: Sooo...I'm not exactly being a farmer. I don't get to grow anything. But since my daughter owns a horse, I get to do farmer-y things sometimes like scoop horse poo, throw hay bales out of the loft, pet a barn cat, drive a great big truck with a trailer, go to the farm store and buy feed. I truly love the smell of hay and a clean stall. I appreciate the personalities of the different horses, and have fallen in love again with our blustery off the track thoroughbred. The day after I was fired, I stood out in the field with the sun shining down on me, horses nibbling at what was left of the summer grass, the whole valley was at my feet and I thought: “I'm going to survive...there could be freedom in this. The only crap that I have to put up with for now comes from the backside of a horse.”
Artist: I've had time to pursue some more artistic undertakings. I attended a wonderfully healing creatives retreat. I hadn't realized how much of my soul was being eaten up by the stress of daily conflict and having to promote something that no longer matched my values and having to carefully choose every word. I've posted several of these endeavors on my instagram. I'd love for you to follow along. One of my favorite tasks I set up for myself was to design a couple of stickers and have them available for sale. Please, take a look:
Vintage Sales: I love garage sales and thrift stores! Sometimes I forget that you can buy stuff new. My favorite items are travel, camping and nature related items usually with a hippie vibe. I decided to try my hand at selling the cool things I've collected. I did a couple of weekend shows and just got word that I will have a permanent booth in an antique store downtown. I'm really excited! I'll continue to have things on my Etsy shop too.
Writer: I've really enjoyed doing the blog thing and trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of it. I had a real dry spell for awhile. There was a lot of internal processing from the loss of my job that I needed to do. I wasn't quite ready to put it out there for the rest of the world. (However, it's not like that many folks read this yet!) But, now the words are starting to flow again.
Traveler: After I lost my job, I thought, “Well, I still have Nepal.” (In 2016 and 2017 I led a group of college students for a 2 week trip in Nepal.) When I was told, 6 days after being terminated, that the trip had been cancelled due to lack of participants, I felt like I had been fired all over again. But, by not having a job, I was able to pick up at a moment's notice when my mom had some health issues. I spent several days in another part of the state helping my parents out and watching her health return. I was able to travel to Mexico as part of a preview team for a non-profit that I'm associated with. On a whim, over Thanksgiving, I applied for a job as a flight attendant. AND I GOT IT!!! I will be a full time traveler! A professional in the aviation industry! I am so excited! I have a feeling though that I will be much more of a vagabond than a basecamper now.
