South of Nashville

This morning I woke up very slowly. Freezing rain rattled on the tree outside my window, making me feel warm and cozy and lucky to be under my pile of blankets. When I slipped out from under the covers and padded to the window, I saw the lamp post outside piled with ice.  Nashville, Tennessee is coated with freezing rain this morning, but in my little home, I have hot coffee, fresh oranges, and podcasts.  It’s a happy morning in a new city.

Yep, it’s a brand-new adventure south of Nashville, Tennessee!  I arrived here Monday and have spent the last two days working very hard learning what I need to know to start work today.  This apartment community (for fun, I normally refer to my property as my “castle”) was built in the sixties but has been taken care of adorably well.  In the office, my desk is out in the exact middle of the room under a big wrought-iron chandelier so I feel quite responsible for everything here.

This suburb reminds me of Kennesaw in Atlanta with its convenience (everything you need within five minutes’ drive), easygoing Tennessee folks, and barely rolling landscape.  I grew up in east Tennessee, and even though this city is four hours west and pancake-flat in comparison, the people from here seem sturdy and down-to-earth in the same way.  It’s not easy to start conversations at first; they regard you with a little bit of reserve, looking solemn.

Nashville itself is an amazing city – so much to see and do!  Even in the winter cold, I’m incredibly excited to be here!  Once the ice goes away… I can’t wait to get started exploring in earnest.

~ The Dauntless Princess ~

 

 

The George Bush Presidential Library

I left Aggieland yesterday morning, passing through Houston and Dallas before finally touching down at home in Atlanta. This assignment passed in a blur! Being sick with the flu for the past week has made me a grouchy old bear, but I’m still sorry to leave. There was so much more to see and explore in College Station and the surrounding cities. And I worked with so many wonderful, colorful, fun people here! I’m leaving richer by many new friends.

Before I left, though, I wanted to see the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M. I’d seen signs for it constantly but never had a chance to peek inside.

A Year in Review: 2015

the edge is change.
it’s what you don’t see coming…
so get out of your comfort zone
and deal with it.

Last December I left the nine-to-five data entry job that I landed at a private corporation after college and started a commission-based sales and marketing job in property management.  It’s like being a real estate agent, but selling apartments instead of houses, and moving every few weeks from project to project like a consultant.

If that sounds crazy to you – you’re right, it is.  In 2014, I lived quietly in Gainesville, Georgia. In 2015, I put everything into storage while I live on the road out of two suitcases.  By the numbers this past year, I spent 90 days at “home” and 275 days traveling.  I worked for six wildly different property management companies.  I visited eleven new states and provinces.  This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and I won’t live this way forever.  But I’m amazed at how much of a growing experience it’s been.

Why the change?  Couldn’t I have had growth without making such drastic changes?  Was there any big-picture reasoning in this decision?  And most importantly, why should you care about all this?

The Longest Night

This is my favorite night of the year.

Honestly, I look forward to it more than cozy Christmas Eves, song-filled midsummer nights, sweet spring darkness, or the ghoulish heaviness of Halloween…

Because for me, winter solstice is about hope.