What the Heck!

Where do I even begin? It has been FAR too long... so long that I didn't even realize until I logged in tonight, it has been 2 YEARS! I have no excuse other than LIFE is crazy and really took me for an unexpected and stressful ride! Someday maybe I will go into detail, but for now, lets just say 2017 was the most challenging year of my life! 2017 was full of unexpected lessons and humbling experiences. I was living far too long in a place that I had outgrown, but served a purpose that I am grateful for.  I am a FIRM believer that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, and I do believe that 2018 has brought me out of the darkness that shrouded me the previous year.  I have A LONG WAY to go, but I am looking to focus on things that being me happiness; spending time with family, friends, cooking, working out, and yes.... blogging! 

So to quickly give an update of my last year or so, a couple fun things have happened! I discovered Crash my Playa, a country beach concert in Riviera Maya (RM) which is an amazing experience. I have gone the last two years and just bought my package for 2019!  I like to head to RM and finish it off with a couple days of R&R in Tulum. I traveled to Bali and back to Thailand with my friend. It was her first BIG international trip and I love being able to introduce someone to traveling on a budget and getting outside of the touristy hotspots to really embrace the culture. 

I have also left my previous job and am now a travel nurse! Although my travels haven't taken me too far from home... it actually brought me BACK home to Northern, CA.  I am living in Petaluma with my sister and enjoying the beautiful surroundings...that are GREEN.  Far too long I was stuck in a sandy, dusty, uninspiring location that at times felt like quicksand.  Trying so hard to leave, just to get sucked back in.  Good news though, I made it out ALIVE! Currently I am working at a hospital in San Francisco and focusing on paying off some bills! 2018 will bring me out of debt, and I CANNOT wait for that! 

Like I said, I am in the process of reconnecting to things that being me happiness and balance. Since I crawled out of the quicksand (ALMOST unscathed), I am able to work less and make more! My goals for the second half of this year are: to get in shape, cook more, blog a lot more, and focus on getting back to myself.  I will document my journey through this space, and maybe you will like it, maybe you won't!  I plan on doing A LOT of LOCAL restaurant/business reviews with a special column, "The Picky Petaluman", so keep an eye out for that! I plan on joining a local gym to hopefully kick my ass in gear and also expand my social circle. Maybe if I am feeling extremely BRAVE I will post pictures of my fitness journey-no guarantees though! I am excited to be "Hitting the Keys" again, as it really does allow for my limited, creative, self expression and brings some level of fulfillment! I do not think of myself as a creative person, but I think I'm ok that this whole writing thing...