If you asked me about my summer plans even a month ago I would have excitedly responded with ‘unemployment’! Then I’d feel compelled to explain that I was actually planning on focusing on self-employment…from whatever WiFi I could get access to while traveling. I had grand plans for international travel, weekend road trips + my own version of vanlife tucked inside my Subaru.

The key word there is ‘was’. Past tense. As awesome as that sounds it is no longer my primary game plan.

Nothing went wrong. Actually, a lot went right. I got job offers! Then I accepted them + now I have jobs!

Now, I am currently roaming Europe for about six weeks. That happens in about three weeks + I’m excited to be back at some solo traveling before I take on some real life responsibilities back in Colorado.

I’m also not giving up on the self-employment side of things. About 50% of my monthly income is generated by contracted gigs that fall into the ‘self-employment’ category. I’m proud of that, I truly enjoy it + I don’t want to lose that. I’m not going to lose that…I just won’t be increasing it as aggressively as I initially anticipated.

Instead of dumping all of my time into becoming a full blown digital nomad I have taken on two part-time summer jobs. One at my beloved Red Buffalo Cafe [my go-to coffee shop, in case you haven’t seen it pop up in my IG stories on the regular]. The other is at the Summit Medical Center, the hospital the mountain ERs work along side during the winter months. These are both really good things + I’m legitimately excited about both of them.

I’ve also acquired a garden plot at the local community garden. It feels like the perfect addition for my sourdough starter [Herman!], my kombucha mother [Henrietta], my worms [Jim, there are hundreds, every one is Jim] + my array of herbs [they have to survive to get names]. I’m excited about fresh tomatoes, beans, cucumbers + more. Before summer is over I’ll be baking homemade pizza with fresh sourdough crust underneath some home-grown herbs + veggies. Oooh, the food is going to be delicious this summer + this dude is going to love it…

A part of me feels like I am settling…settling down. Honestly, I’m really conflicted about that. I sincerely want to keep traveling, locally + international, for adventure + for culture. A part of me is really afraid of losing the girl who isn’t afraid to just go, because the flights were cheap or it sounded cool or there was nothing else to do. I love that part of me + I have learned so much from the erratic decisions that girl is capable of making.

Deep down inside I’ve always been this person. I’ve always been a bit impulsive, chasing after the next best thing. Just look at my resume, I have worked at more jobs than I can count on my fingers + toes. But I truly got to know this girl when I took a chance + headed to Switzerland the first time a handful of years ago. I didn’t have a game plan + my backup plan was a guy I’d been dating off + on…but we were in an off + actively not speaking to each other. I was going out on a limb, believing in me + only me because that’s all I had to go on.

[disclaimer: I did have friends + family apprehensively supporting me, but the only person I had a bail-me-out-no-matter-what agreement with was that guy…everyone else was awesome at being emotionally supportive + boy did I give them a run for their patience!]

That is the girl I want to remember + the girl I want to cling to…but at the same time I have a solid, happy home with awesome people [+ an awesome guy] back in Colorado. I don’t want to lose that either. So, I guess you could stay I’m stuck in this middle area where I’m currently lucky enough to have the best of both worlds. This is great + I’m not complaining — not. at. all.

However, I am also very aware of how fleeting all of this equilibrium can be. I don’t want to take advantage of it — but to acknowledge it, soak it up for all its worth + do what I can to make it work as long as possible.

Bits + Pieces of My Life…As Seen in the Story Above



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