Moving, Life and Work Update

Hi there! This post is a little random as usually I stick to more specific topics. I’ve been a little scatterbrained the past couple weeks, so I thought I would check in and share all the hecticness that’s been happening!

After my last day at my job, I had five days to pack up life belongings and say my goodbyes. My mom flew out to help me make the drive and we had a blast.

If you have been following me along on Instagram, you’d have noticed that we made the drive from Seattle and arrived safely in Nashville. Of course, we had to take this obligatory photo once we crossed state lines.

 

Packing up and shipping out

I shipped 23 boxes via UPS. I’m not sure if my local mail & ship shop loved me or hated me for the business. Total cost was just under $900 – yikes! But they did give me 15% off when I asked for a discount 🙂

Here’s the rundown:

• Seattle to Nashville was a 2,600 mile drive
• Somehow we detoured through Iowa and Illinois (??)
• My gas guzzling, weighed down SUV went through 9 tanks of gas
• I drove roughly 1100, 1000, and 500 miles each day over the course of 2.5 days
• Bathroom breaks and coffee/food fill-ups were only permitted when stopping for gas (gotta make good use of time!)

Apartment life

I was a little worried about my new apartment. I lived in brand new apartments in Seattle, so I was a bit nervous about signing a lease with an older apartment building. I also picked an apartment that wasn’t downtown, so I was also nervous about being too far out from people and things to do.

Well, it turns out I was worried for nothing. My new apartment has been remodeled and looks great, everything seems shiny and new and it’s super pet friendly. I’m close to everything, people are super nice and I can hear the crickets. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I have been listening to construction noise every day for the past two years. Crickets sound amazing.

Now that I’ve moved out of my old place, I thought it would be fun to share a few pictures of what my old apartment looked like. I stuck with the model photos, as my building is brand new and every apartment looked exactly like this.

My new place doesn’t really have any amenities except for a gym, but that’s ok. And I miss grabbing a free carafe cup out of the fancy coffee machine every day, but I can make my own 🙂 Plus I’m saving money, which is the greatest thing of all!

Furniture

Since I sold all my furniture in Seattle, I had to start fresh in Nashville. I know I’ll be sticking around in Nashville for quite some time, I’m at the point in my life where it’s time to buy long term and quality pieces. In Seattle I purchased primarily used or cheap furniture because I knew my stay wouldn’t extend past a couple years.

A couple months prior to my move, I started locking in and ordering pieces, mostly from Wayfair. It’s one of my favorite brands and their quality and customer service is top notch. They have something for everyone, so I was quite happy with my budget and what I spent.

Life in Tennessee

I’ve been in Nashville for two weeks and there are some distinctive things that stand out. I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life, so nothing should have come as a huge surprise. However, spending two years in Seattle has made me a little more expectant of things.

Interesting things about Tennessee:

• There’s no recycling, anywhere. I’m having some major stress about this and my mother thinks I should start a movement. *Edit – some neighborhoods have a once a month curbside pickup. Mine does not. I still have yet to see any recycling cans next to garbage cans while out anywhere.
• Apparently you can only buy wine at Spirit stores (thank you Target lady for telling me this when I asked her where the wine aisle was)
• You can’t buy alcohol on Sundays (unless you’re ordering a drink at a restaurant)
• Things move at a slower pace
• Everyone is genuinely nice and wants to make sure you are having a great day

I can’t complain about the last two. I’ve been ready to slow it down a notch and go back to being surrounded by nice and friendly people. Seattle was a somewhat snobby town and I just didn’t fit in with the masses.

Freelancing

Finally, let’s talk about work!

Freelancing is scary and exciting at the same time. I’m having my best month yet (more to come at next month’s online income report) but I’ve been frazzled and stressed out. I took on way too much work while needing time off, and I paid for it with exhaustion and possibly gray hairs.

I’m hustling hard and it’s working so far, but I still worry about where I’ll be a few months from now. I keep telling myself I’ve got this, but it’s a never-ending game of hustling and thinking ahead.

On a fun note, my blog is undergoing some major changes. I’m updating my theme, expanding my content and switching gears a bit. I’ve always been honest about my blog’s direction, hopes to monetize and I’m excited that it’s actually making money.

If you are thinking about starting a blog, this tutorial will help you start a blog today. You’ll also get a FREE domain name for a year! I was able to quit my job and blog full time, all within my first year of blogging. I am really glad I took a chance and started a blog! I invested a small amount of money to start my blog using Bluehost, and I made $13,000 in 6 months of blogging. That’s the best return of investment ever! 

By nature, I’ve always found myself wanting to help and reach out to others. I receive a lot of email each week with people needing help and having questions on how to do things, so I want to be able to share my answers with more readers.

While I have touched on this subject before, I plan on writing a lot more about:

• Pinterest 101
• Creating images for blogs 101
• Freelancing 101

Related reading:

• Typical Day in the Life of a Full-Time Blogger
• 9 Ways to Avoid Blogging and Freelance Burnout
• How to Manage Your Time as a Blogger
• 90-Day Blogging Guide For Beginners

I’ve been blogging for about a year now and I’m happy with the niche(s) I’ve landed at. I wasn’t sure if I’d find my direction or know where I’d end up, but somehow things have worked out.

I’m feeling confident about the direction I’m heading in and couldn’t be more excited. I have a ton of things I want to write about and there seems to be topics readers are asking me about.

Hopefully, if you’ve made it to this point, I haven’t bored you with my ramblings. Life is fun and hectic and scary, but I’m loving every moment.

If you are thinking about starting a blog, this tutorial will help you start a blog today. You’ll also get a FREE domain name for a year! I was able to quit my job and blog full time, all within my first year of blogging. I am really glad I took a chance and started a blog! I invested a small amount of money to start my blog using Bluehost, and I made $13,000 in 6 months of blogging. That’s the best return of investment ever! 

Is there anything crazy happening in your life right now?