The Next Chapter..And People Thought I Was Crazy

It’s about to get personal ;)

I really wasn’t sure what to title this post…so I guess this is my next chapter.  I am in the middle of packing up all of my stuff (hoping it fits in my car) and about to move back to Wisconsin. I have been living her in Wilmington, NC for almost two years, and holy cow did that go by fast.  It is a bittersweet moment, I am beyond excited to be back home, do what I love, live with my boyfriend, be with my friends, and see my family…but at the same time I’m feeling a bit sad. Wilmington is absolutely gorgeous and has presented me with so many great opportunities and blessed me some really great friends that I am going to miss so much.

The quote above is a re-post that I blogged about here in 2010.  As some of you know I have always dreamed, since I was 13, to move away and become a wedding planner and owning my own successful business. I always knew I could and never really doubted myself. I remember telling my guidance counselor in high school that I wanted to be an event planner (that was in 2004) and I wanted to look at colleges in California to do so. I’m sure she thought I was crazy, as did a lot of my family because who really knows what they want at that age..right? In 2004 Wedding planning wasn’t too common and was looked at as a hobby..not a career. I didn’t care because I was determined to make it a career. At that point I decided to start saving my money, so by the time I graduate college (which I insisted to get my bachelors degree..in WI though), that I would have saved up enough money to buy a one-way ticket to a new state to pursue that dream.

Then came my senior year in college, I was researching places to move and found Wilmington…at that point I was dead set that I would live there. For about 2 years I emailed my resume and searched Craigslist almost daily trying to a job in Wilmington.  No luck. No bites. Nothing. I was getting discouraged but realized if I want to make it happend I just have to do it.  (side note: in that time I fell in love, I told him my plans before we started dating and have had his support ever since..he is kind of amazing and must really like me). In those two years, I saved up enough money to move and sustain myself for about a month, so I quite my job, found an apartment on craigslist and did it.  That was f’ing crazy. I packed up my little honda and drove to Wilmington, luckily my apartment was beautiful and my roommate was amazing!  So, I gave myself 1 month to find a job and figure my shit out.

Two years later, here I am.  I guess you can say I believed I could…so I did. No, I’m not wedding planning but I am still designing, creating, and loving every minute of it. I do own my own business (well two, one of which is all about weddings :) and couldn’t be happier.  I know there were a few people out there that didn’t truly support my decisions…or believed I would/could do it. But I did.

Living here has truly changed me, it has made me more independent, more confident in myself and my work, and most importantly it has made me realize what matters the most in my life…the people I love. As happy and thankful as I am that I moved and pursued this dream, I am so excited to be with my family and friends. I miss my best friend (my love), softball tournaments, girls nights, cornhole, my dads amazing breakfast, my beautiful sister, and spending time with my new niece. I’m excited to grow up, get married, own a home, and maybe have kids. To go to ‘work’ each morning, and then spend my nights with my family and friends…I realized that is all I ever really wanted and that it doesn’t really matter where you are.  (until winter comes, I may say otherwise ;)

So, thank you all for your support and coming along with me on this journey. I am sooo excited for the future..and to soon share with you my new brand and website!

WOW, I really hope that didn’t come off  boastful…or too boring.