Last year was the first year of my freelance career. It was shaky, unsure and I rarely saw the light at the end of the tunnel. But what was perhaps even harder was figuring out how to successfully work from home. Can I wear yoga pants? Is it awful to sleep in? Is it weird to take the morning off and work at night?
Over the course of a year I’ve figured out a few things about what works for me (dressing up — maybe not in sequin leggings) and what doesn’t (heavy lunches), but I still have my fair share to learn. So I turned to three fabulous freelancer friends who are imparting their words of wisdom on what it’s like to be an at-home worker bee. Read on for their thoughts on sleeping in, separating work from home and watching Bravo.
In my very first post on this blog I mentioned that I once had a food blog, then I had a travel blog and then I started this blog. (I failed to mention that in high school I also had a movie blog back before blog was a word.) Each holds a special place in my heart, but this is the blog that feels most true to me. It’s my sanctuary of all things happy, exciting, sad, scary, insecure, delicious, adventurous, beautiful and canine-related. Me in a nutshell, I guess. It’s also helped me through my first shaky year of freelance by giving me routine and an opportunity to put something out there that’s all mine. And to have people read and care? That’s pretty awesome.
So on this day, my one year blog-aversary, I’m running my first giveaway! One lucky winner will get two prizes, both of which represent my love for food and San Diego’s small business scene. Read on for details about the prizes:
Tomorrow marks our one-year Caliversary, and I can say with absolute certainty that there is no where I’d rather be at this point in my life (and maybe forever?) than San Diego. I wanted to live somewhere warm, sunny, outdoorsy and healthy with an emphasis on a good quality of life. And let me tell you, San Diegans live very well. They go to the beach, hike, buy from the farmer’s market, relax and work to live (not the other way around). They have a very positive, friendly and happy outlook on things. How could they not? San Diego is beautiful.
I also wanted to live in a small city, which is such a 180-degree switch from my late teens and early 20’s. I love that San Diego feels like a sprawling urban suburb — oxymoron, but it does feel that way — with tons of distinct and very different neighborhoods. I like that it’s quiet and slow. I like that the city feels most alive in the mornings. I sometimes miss New York’s energy, but at the end of the day, San Diego’s laid-back pace is what I want.
A peek at what the holidays looked like around these parts, including December Nights in Balboa Park, celebrating Eaman’s business launch with cake from New York City, a few hikes, a weekend pop-up shop of local artisans, freaking Teddy out with a horse head costume I won at a white elephant party and gorgeous 80-degree days. Oh, and I thought it was only fitting to end the last video recap of 2013 with a song about how YOLO.
2013 was maybe the most challenging year I’ve ever faced. Never have I had to deal with so many curve balls at once–from getting to know a new city and making new friends to navigating the world of freelance, raising a new puppy and watching Eaman start his own business. It was a lot to contend with at once. In a way I’m kind of ready for 2013 to be over.
That said, this year was also about many dreams coming true. I very much believe in willing things to happen and will forever remember 2013 as the year when so many goals became realities. Sometimes I sit on my couch and look at my freelance articles, my boyfriend (of nearly 8 years!), my puppy sleeping by my feet and the homey space we’ve created here in San Diego and give myself a little pat on the back. We done good in 2013.
Onward to 2014. I want more stability. I want to feel less “new.” I want to stick with the yoga regimen I got serious about at the end of 2013. (I’m loving Pura Vida, a vinyasa studio in downtown San Diego.) I want to brush more off my shoulders. I want to go to Big Sur. I want to stop falling asleep on the couch. That last one needs to happen asap.
Happy new year friends! Thank you for reading, following and writing.
Since Eaman and I work for ourselves, we rarely get time off–I even worked while in India–but the stars aligned for Christmas week and we got our very first real vacation. A whole week! And to say we took advantage is putting it lightly.
It was as if the parents had left three kids (me, Eaman and Teddy) home alone, and we were left to our own devices. We ate candy until our stomachs hurt, baked Funfetti cupcakes, spent a day in beautiful Bird Rock, watched tons of trash TV and enjoyed being complete wastes of space. Good old-fashioned G-rated fun. I think the best part was getting tons of Teddy time. We took him everywhere and probably induced some separation anxiety. As in I miss him even when he’s just in the other room.
Looking back at Teddy’s first bike ride, the San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival, San Diego Magazine‘s 65th anniversary party and a glimpse of my India and Singapore trip. I got back late last night and once I get past my bleary-eyed, jet lag-induced haze, I’ll go through all my pictures and share them next week.
