SO THAT HAPPENED...

You may have noticed there were quite a few months of silence from this Smalltownista as I seemingly dropped off the face of the blogosphere. Well, it was not for lack of inspiration and ideas, but rather...

Wednesday January 12th, 2011

Ugh, why is my phone ringing? And look, it's 3:30 in the morning. Telemarketers. Who would possibly be awake for a sales call at this hour. Vibrate...what a fabulous notion!

Again, really, well this is seriously disturbing my REM sleep. Wait, why is a 312 number calling me...and is that the hubs phone vibrating from its charging perch?

Oh no, this must be some sort of emergency!!! Something must have set off my security alarm at work...did I lock the front door? check! Did I lock the back door? I feel certain this is also a check! From deep within my semi-conscious state I fumble with my iphone attempting to redial the 312 number, but instead happen upon this voicemail...

THE ROARING TWENTIES: UHAULS & HAIR COLOR

July 28th, 2011 marked the last day of my roaring twenties and oh what a decade it was, a time line that could easily be measured in Uhauls & Hair Color.

As I stroll into my thirties it seems like an opportune time to reflect on the past decade. It started out a little rocky, hit a hight point in the middle, and thankfully remained pretty steady.

ONE YEAR LATER. . .

It's hard to believe a year has gone by since we unpacked our Penske and embarked on a new life in the grand city of Chicago. What amazing things take place in only 365 days, big and small.

I have come a long way from the fearful smalltownista paying for my first solo cab ride with sweaty palms. Hopping the Red Line is no longer an anxiety riddled experience, but a daily occurance which allows me to read my newest book in peace, well minus the gospel ranting rider and the occassional stranger animately and feverently talking to themselves.

WELCOME TO THE QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

Just found Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties today, plan on ordering and reading after lifting my self-imposed 'No more buying books policy'

Honestly, the title of this post was inches away from becoming the title of this blog and it is a very real thing folks. Very real, indeed. As the Quarter Life Crisis chapter is coming to a close for me, I am only now realizing how prevalent it is. Of course we have all heard of the mid-life crisis and possibly even witnessed it with our own eyes. Fast cars, hot lovers, erratic behavior, hey, wasn't that our early twenties?

SMALLTOWNISTA ON HIATUS

Whew, this last week has been a whirl wind. . .

*Survive first week solo on the Dream Job. Check

*Clean house for Momma Jane's visit. Halfway check

*Bid farewell to the hubs as he embarks on sea side vacay. Check

*Imbibe one green beer for first St. Patty's Day in Chi town festivities. Check

*Prepare week's worth of lunch for work. Not even close to a check

*Top off latest read from massive book collection. Almost check

*Unpack from Road trip and do laundry for two. Check

*Catch up with a few besties via phone date. Check

*Find a place for at home Yoga practice in new routine. Working on it, but will be much easier and more convenient when new Yoga studio opens up, 3 doors down from work. Counting down the days, er, months!

*Bask in the Spring time weather teaser. Check

*Lend a helping hand to fellow city dweller. Check & it was fun to actually know where I was going well enough to give someone else directions. YAY.

Hitting my stride at said dream job is going to take a little time, but I will get there. In the meantime, this little smalltownista is on hiatus from posting. My focus for now is on work, the hubs, yoga, meditation, reading, and catching up with folks when I have a free moment. If there is any blogging to be had it will be few and far between. I hope to be back in the swing of things soon, but until then. . .

Toodles for now!

DEAR CHICAGO

Dear Chicago,

You're a rascal.  I must admit I was leery of you at first, but you have proven yourself to be very kind indeed.

I knew that opportunity was abundant in your fair city, but was unaware I would be fortunate enough to find my perfect fit.  Leaving my previous business behind was a difficult task and left me unsure that I would find anything at all comparable. Enter... Pelle Sana Salon with its eloquent owner, charming physique, and heaps of character, it's precisely what I was seeking. Suffice it to say, I have found my dream job.

AN ODE TO MY MATTY

Never one to shy away from my lot to live a life submerged in an abundance of strong women, I love my girls.  Never do I have trouble voicing my adoration for the hubs, but today there is another man in my life whom I simply must dote on.

My Matty, well I have to share him with what seems to be half the world, but nonetheless, in my eyes he will always be my Matty. 

Matt and I have been besties since the first day we met, over fourteen years ago.  We lived across the street from eachother and our moms introduced us in that awkward "Kristin will be attending your school in the fall, you two should get to know eachother" type of way.  It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship indeed. 

SELL YOURSELF, SELL YOUR SOUL: RESUME REVAMP

Ah, it's that time of year again. The seasons are a changing and the resume needs a revamping. Okay, it is not really the season, it is the fact that my job hunt will officially begin come 2010. Have I expressed how fortunate I am to have a hubs that is supportive enough to give me time to adjust to our new life in the city before jumping into the work force. While I moan about selling myself, I am learning and I am truly grateful.

As previously mentioned, Sell Yourself, Sell Your Soul: Part I , learning to sell myself is a work in progress. I am trying to get past the idea that talking myself up is not necessarily a betrayal to a genuine personality. If talking myself up is tough, you can only imagine how foreign it feels to put it on paper.

SELL YOURSELF, SELL YOUR SOUL, PART I

In the process of a slight career change, I have recently come to terms with the fact that I am simply not good at selling myself. I am more than happy talking up other people, but when it comes to myself, I squirm with discomfort. Okay, selling my soul is a bit of an exaggeration. I am referring to the part of myself that wishes to remain a genuine person and that blatantly selling myself seems to chip away at that characteristic.

Why is the task of selling myself so daunting? It is not that I am not proud of my accomplishments, of course I am. It is the idea of wearing them on my sleeve that makes me cringe. If you are smart, talented, educated, creative, and passionate, those traits will surface through natural conversation. If you believe in what you do, sell, or create it will be obvious by your hard work and dedication.