Slow Burn

Quick-ish Recap

It's been five months since I left my job at the bank. I can't decide whether time has flown by or if it's slowed down because SO much has happened yet we're already halfway through the year! I kicked off the New Year in Portland, Oregon surrounded by friends who asked me tough (but important) questions related to my future. I went back to Houston thinking about what I considered to be "non-negotiables" in my professional and personal life. It was actually great starting off the year by laying out that foundation (or shall I say boundaries) by saying, "So this didn't work for me and that's okay, but here's what I learned and what I'm not willing to settle on." 

At the time, I did not have it in me to immediately jump into another job, much less have the motivation to look for one. The hard truth was, I had to lay down my pride and accept that I had exhausted my resources and needed some distance from the lifestyle I had grown accustomed to.

It's not in my nature to sit down and do nothing so I knew that if I didn't have anything lined up, I needed to figure out a way to challenge myself. It was a no-brainer that traveling somewhere new was in the cards for me. The caveat though was that I didn't want to travel for the sake of traveling, it needed to be more than that. I wanted to figure out a way to see and experience what's beyond the surface. So with that in mind, I began looking into Central/South American countries with strong artisan communities that I can learn from (ethical fashion is my heart and soul) and eventually Guatemala became the winner!  

My ultimate goal was to sit down and learn from members of the Guatemalan community. I was hungry for inspiration, and in the end, I sat down with multiple social entrepreneurs (people using business to make a positive and sustainable impact), artisans and community leaders. What began as a month-long backpacking trip rapidly transformed into a three-month mind and heart alignment!

With my three-month visa on the verge of expiring and extremely cheap flights back to Houston, I decided it was the right time to go home! I said hasta luego to my sweet Guatemalan host family, friends and home for the last few months--to say that I miss that place is a total understatement! 

People, not pedestals

The BIG and exciting news is that I am officially working for Rank & File!! It's an online community for social entrepreneurs seeking an authentic space to learn from each other! It's a magazine, podcast and classroom all rolled up into one company! What drew me to apply was something said on their homepage, "Rank & File is about people, not pedestals." This is the opportunity I had been waiting and hoping for: A company that is driven by people and their authentic stories! In case you didn't notice, I'm using way more exclamation points than usual because I'm THAT excited!!! I'll be the assistant managing editor, which means that I have the opportunity to communicate with some of the most incredible purpose-driven leaders while having the flexibility to work from anywhere!

But it almost didn't happen

The crazy part is that I almost didn't apply. That mean-girl voice that tells me I'm not enough spoke louder than ever during the application process. However, this time I thought, WAIT A MINUTE! I recognize you and you're not going to isolate me again!" It was an internal injustice that I wasn't about to accept. I guess you can say that I learned from past mistakes. I began to open up to friends about everything and the more I talked about applying for this job the more I felt qualified for it. Friend, if you are currently going through a similar form of self-sabotage, take it from me, let people in!!! Living in that mindset keeps us from moving forward. It takes calling yourself out on your bullshit to get you out of that cycle of feeling stuck!

Home sweet home?

So now that you know a little bit about my new job, this brings us to the question of "where are you going to live now?" I've made the (surprisingly easy) decision to unpack my things and call Laredo my home-base! I could not rationalize spending money on rent, and everything else that comes along with it, when I have a remote position. This, I've decided, is a season to slow down and spend some much-needed quality time with my loved ones while also taking advantage of the freedom that a remote position gives me. I have a few travel plans up my sleeve but my #1 priority right now is surrounding myself with the people I deeply love.

I am SO excited and hopeful to see where this next chapter leads me!

Love,
Amanda

P.S. Thanks for reading this. You don't know how honored I feel when you sacrifice your time to read my thoughts. It means more than you know.