"Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end."
"I'm gonna make the rest of my life the best of my life."
and an infinite amount of other pretty words about change.
I've been gone for a while I guess. The last post says 11/17/15. Whoops. There have been quite a few changes in my little world for the first 6 months of 2016 and I'm finally at a place where I can talk about all of them. HUZZAH.
Summer solstice has arrived and I feel like I'm finally my element! Lars and I are both summer babies and it's our favorite season- for the warmth (of course) and camping season. The amount of travelling and activities we jam into the 4 months of good weather is almost physically impossible, but we've got some to make up for since last summer was the #jorgensenwedding2015 and lord we barely made it out of there alive. (Literally and physically. Thank you for all the views and comments on the blog about the wedding- that post was especially hard to write and even read sometimes.)
I'm realizing now that "quite a few changes" is actually really just "a huge career shift" but after it's all said and done it felt like a snake shedding it's skin 6 times back to back. Awkward, possibly painful but so unbelievably necessary. Sometimes you have to strip yourself completely to get to the core of YOU, your being, and figure out exactly what you want. I'm finally realizing that what you want is a concept that's always shifting. I used to think that everyone had one specific goal or destination in life and you get on one path to that place. Now, thankfully, I see that you can get off the path whenever you want or need. You can make a new path. You can CHANGE YOUR MIND. and it's OKAY. Some people have been aware of that for years, and I envy you.
Knowledge is power though right?
Now I have the power. LOOK OUT.
First and foremost, I left Forever 21. Which to be honest, was difficult because in a weird way I loved that job. Yes; it was a minimum wage customer service job with a ton of high school/ early college folks who had lots of drama but I made a few good friends who made the job a fun place to be. My OCD loved organizing clothes, making things look good, helping people find outfits for work or special occasions and other things of that sort. I took a job I just couldn't pass up- as an animal caregiver that was my new first priority and had to walk away from one of my two jobs. (and, at the exact same time a new district manager was hired for Forever 21 and was putting rules in place like "No visible tattoos" and "Normal hair cut and color" which made my skin crawl.)
So, for a few minutes there, I was working 3 jobs at one time. Forever 21, Tin Umbrella Coffee and Pasado's Safe Haven.
Without disclosing too much boring and unnecessary rambling. I'll just say that I work at Pasado's Safe Haven as a Animal Caregiver full time and that is my only job and I am completely and sincerely over the moon happy with what I am doing now.
To be honest, I was doing too much and was completely burnt out. I had a job I've wanted my whole life and a job I was doing to pay the bills and I had to make a tough decision. I had to be respectful to MYSELF and those who were counting on me. I couldn't work 80+ hours a week anymore, I had to truly dedicate myself to my passion and let go of things I couldn't fix or give enough time to. After a certain amount of time of trying, we all have to walk away at some point right? Working yourself to the bone benefits no one. A hard lesson to learn for a workaholic like myself.
I took a substantial decrease in pay, and I have never been more happy with a job in my entire life.
Even on hard days when it's pouring rain and I'm out in a pasture with no escape from it.
Even on days when I've been on my feet for 10+ hours running around lifting things, moving things and catching heavy animals.
Even on days when I leave the house at 645am and get home at 930pm.
Even on days when I slept for 2 hours and my alarm goes off at 4:30am. I spring out of bed like I slept for 12.
and THAT is how you know you are living your dream. When all of those things are happening and you still can't wait to go to work.
It's the first time in my 24 years of life that I have truthfully only had one job, and as weird as it is it's definitely necessary. Pasados is hard work, long days and physically demanding as much as mentally demanding- and it's a dream job that I can finally say is MINEEEEEE!
Now, this blog is about chimp friends and farm friends. Two sides of the coin, it feels like on some days. Thus, "Chimpin' Around the Farm" seems like a good new blog title for my ramblings here.
Please visit pasadosafehaven.org for more about what we do, and some fun upcoming events. Or come visit me at work and snuggle some animals!
The Cle Elum 7 are all still living the dream and I see them a little less but still close to every week, and it's still my favorite place in Washington State. I'll have more photos and accounts of days with them as well. (Including an art show in August! If I ever start the paintings, because even though I've been doing it a while it still intimidates me to look at a blank canvas.) New interactions, (like Jamie chimp laughing at me and GIVING ME A KISS for the first time since I've known her) and other such things, to come!
I spent (entirely too much) on a new fancy camera and have been taking photos of literally everything, but mostly my farm friends and chimp friends and I can't wait to share them on this outlet. Here are some photos from June I took at CSNW:
Foxie:
Jamie:
Lars got this shot of me serving Missy some lunch (Negra seated to my left.)
Lars and the kids and I are doing great, just adjusting to a new work schedule and what that looks like for seeing each other, and seeing all the animals at work and at home. I'm so happy to say that now that I have only 1 job and 3 days weekends, Lars and I actually get to spend some time together, REAL time for the first time in years. We can go places and take real vacations and it's very strange.
Like 2 weeks ago when we went to Victoria BC for my favorite woman in the whole world to do her IronmanTri!
There are probably even more changes in the future, and I can't wait to see what happens! Here are just a few photos from Pasado's:
Banjo dog and I:
Clarence and Jesus:
Rainier:
My favorite animal on Pasado's property: Norman. <3
Stay Tuned!
b
