Holidays with a Dash of Change
Happy holidays everyone! You may have noticed it's been a quiet month on the blog and it's all been for good reason. Big life decisions reasons! Yeah, I know!
So after a lot of behind-the-scenes decisions, I'm ready to share some of the dets! You ready?
Okay, after 6 years of being at my current position in my day job, I've decided to take the leap and try something a little different. Insert excited/sad/ambitious/nervous and surreal feelings here. I've had such an amazing tenure in my position and have been so lucky to have had a boss who has not only shown me the ropes of the industry but who has been integral to pushing me to try things a little out of my comfort zone -- she is the one who encouraged me to take a chance on NYC after all! When I was hired on as an intern in the dead of the recession in Portland, I had no idea where this journey would take me and I could never have predicted it would bring me where I am today! And I am SO thankful that my boss took a chance on little bright-eyed college senior Anna. The opportunities, the colleagues turned friends and family, the amazing clients -- I'll forever be grateful for it all.
So what's next?! Dun, dun, dun! I'm going to be taking a walk on the wild side.. I'm starting my own freelance biz called Bold & Pop! 🎉
As most of you know, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and while NYC is great a lot of the time, those 2,500+ miles are always tough to swallow and after 5 years those drives to the airport to head back and say goodbye never get easier. Just the thought of it makes me tear up.. It's kind of been a constant battle for me. The struggle between missing home and the things that matter with family but then also not wanting to give up the life I've built for myself and those in it in the city has been a constant tug-of-war that never seems to have a winner.
Which brings me to freelancing. A few years ago around this time at Christmas I made a promise to my mom that by the end of 2016 I would either move home or be bi-coastal. I had no idea how or if I'd be able to keep that promise but from that moment forward it's always been stuck in the back of my mind. Fast forward to this year when the timing just felt right for making a change and taking a chance. And that chance for me is freelancing in the social media, branding and web design world!
The really awesome thing about the my field of work is I can do it anywhere my laptop is! Whichhh, will allow me to have a little bit of both of my worlds! Can I get a WOH HOH! Want to know my second woh hoh? I'm kicking off this dream with almost a month on the west coast. Yes, a whole 26 days! Cue those surreal/excited/nervous feelings again!
I still have a ways to go before I can say I've met my goal but I'm dreaming big, taking a chance and putting one step in front of the other to make this dream a reality. You never know what can happen if you never try right?! I can't wait to see where this next journey will take me and I can't thank everyone who has been so supportive of me over the past few months while I've been working through my ideas on this decision. Bring it on 2016, I'm ready for what is next! And if you have any projects you could use my skills on you know how to find me 😉 hint, hint!