Go Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams! (Part I)

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."-Henry David Thoreau

Well, I don’t know that it’s always been a dream of mine to move to Hawaii, but that’s where I am going as confidently as possible on September 28th.


It’s funny; I never meant to return to California after graduating from Alabama. I always thought I would settle down in Georgia, get married and start a family. (Well now, that’s a whole other post for another time!) But life has a funny way of firmly encouraging you to go in a different direction. At any rate, I landed back in the Bay Area and have been here for much longer than I ever expected. After losing my job of 8 years just two weeks before Christmas (insert violins here), I jumped right into looking for a new source of income. I truly believed I would be back to the grind within a month, maybe two at the longest. Yeah, right! That would be assuming I could get an interview. Just kidding! That would be assuming I even got a call back. Wrong again! That would be assuming I got an email other than “We received your application. Do not reply to this email.” After 4 months of exactly ZERO interviews, I decided to continue my job search from my mom's empty condo in Waikiki. (I know, I know-rough life. Don't judge!) It was while in Hawaii I spontaneously rediscovered a lost passion of mine and a whole new field of fireflies!


About a week before I was headed back to California I met a couple of Marines on the beach. (Note to self: a whole other post on this too!) The three of us were inseparable for an entire week, and I made promises to them both to write letters and send cookies and awesome care packages while they were deployed in Afghanistan. They seemed touched by my offer, and I was surprised that they would be so thankful. I went home with a renewed spirit and some sort of purpose-finally! In between shopping for all things "care package" and writing letters, I sat at home searching for jobs. Up until this point I had been looking for a replacement job, same sort of position- new company. Then I asked myself, if I could do anything, what would make me happy? Surprisingly enough, the answer came-plan events for the military and not as a volunteer! Now that would make me happy! The search was on, and within 24 hours I had found my next dream position-a Fund Raising Coordinator for USO Hawaii! Are you kidding me?! I just thought up a job and it appeared it front of me?! Ridiculous. Unfortunately that opportunity didn't pan out, and neither did the next one I found...but the momentum was certainly going in the right direction!


To be continued...