Almost a year ago to the day…

• I had just returned to Atlanta, GA after interviewing for The Domino Project in New York city, with the knowledge that I made the cut
• I had no idea where I would live, how to get around in NYC, or how I would pay my mortgage in Atlanta and cover housing costs in New York
• My world seemed alive with possibilities, and I was in no way concerned about the uncertainty of it all

So, the punch line: it all worked out. Better than I could have imagined. I sold my house, I’ve relocated to New York, and I’m challenged each and every day in the work that I do. As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, moving to NYC was a transformative experience that altered the trajectory of my career and my life.

I’m so incredibly grateful to Seth and my mentors and my clients and friends who have provided support this year as I stumbled and soared and failed and failed some more.

I’m especially grateful for a new perspective: if filling out a web form on a whim the day a submission is due results in a year like the one I’ve experienced…

…what adventures lie ahead now that I know how (and why) to fail?

And now…

I’m currently in a role (which I will address in detail at some point, I suppose) where I fail on a regular basis, painfully, publicly, and at the expense of my personal income. I have no choice but to push myself, set my emotions aside, and improve how I make high-stakes, gametime decisions every day.

There are been high-five worthy successes, and gut-wrenching disasters. Every week. And the only way out of the fire is by going through it, quickly. A younger and less focused version of myself would be tempted to quit or crack under the pressure (actually, this is true for the right-now me as well…), but something about the pain feels right, and I’ll keep plugging away and improving every day.

(there’s no cute ending here, sorry. hi mom?)