How I Spent My Summer (Vacation)

I did some pretty fun stuff this summer.  Because I did so much, and because my Fall is always complete chaos I am just now finding the time to write about it all. 

Back in May I attended my first ever blogging conference- Gleek Retreat which is right here in Michigan.  It was held in Holland and I got to connect with some new bloggy friends and reconnect with some old ones and a great friend from my highschool (and younger) days.

I felt like I learned a great deal and I hope to attend next year too!

From April until September I freelanced at an ad agency and my blogging got skimpy but I still had a chance to participate in the Shout Out to Eat Out promotion with Chili's! Hubby and I got to try out the Chili's Triple Dipper appetizer and then I got to share one with you!  What a yummy date night that was!

Date nights are great but I also had fun celebrating Father's Day at Wendy's with Cory and the girls (plus one) with free Frostys.  Another great opportunity for a blogger.  A blogger who will never have other opportunities if she doesn't blog more often ;)

Cory and Jayden enjoy a Frosty and French Fries.  The perfect combination of sweet and salty.

 

It was the perfect treat after a hot day in and out of the pool.  Jayden, Ryann and Ryann's friend Lauren (in the middle) completely agree!

So, as you can see I've had some fun.  As of early September the freelance job at the ad agency came to an end.  I still bill an hour here and there, and am slowly picking up more "jobs" in addition to the unpaid work I do for soccer, girl scouts, church, school, etc.  But hey, I'm happy.  And that's all that really matters.  Right?

I've come full circle and I got my Gleek on!

Last weekend I attended my first ever blogging conference.  Perfect timing considering my blog has sat unattended for darn near a month!

I spent two days in lovely Holland, MI at Gleek Retreat 2011 and it was such a great experience.  In addition to spending time with Heather for the first time in about 10 years, I also saw many bloggy friends in real life and even heard a few of them speak and share their blogging expertise!

It was a great way to network from other bloggers like myself, and kick back with an old friend.  The swag bags kicked ass too with fun from Bissell, Therapon, Mabel's Labels, Good Life Granola, Island Girl Bags, Rogers Jewelers and Rudy Kazoody's.

The last six weeks have been a little surreal for me.  You see, it seems I've come full circle.  One of the motivators behind the name of this blog was a major life change I made in November of 2008.  I quit my job in advertising.  Those of you that know me, and those of you that have read about my "process" for the last two-and-half-years may be surprised to find out that I have returned to that world.  Yes, the world of advertising.

I've streamlined some of my extra jobs and have contracted with an agency in the Detroit area.  I handle Business Affairs and about 100 other things.  I'm freelance so I am kind-of my own boss, and I work when and where I want. I don't feel guilt about working at home, and I don't feel guilty if I can't work at all.

So, that's one of the reasons you  haven't heard from me in oh-so-long.  There are other reasons too, but they are for another time and another post.  I'll share more about my job later, but tonight I just wanted to offer an update and a thought- we may wonder what if, and that is OK, but it's also OK to realize that you can go "home" again.  Sometimes when we go to find ourselves, we may realize we were right there all along.  I don't feel lost, and I don't regret my time away from this business, and I'm not 100% sure I'll always be here, but for now it feels right and that's good enough for me.