A new adventure

Since buying the house we have had a few moments of looking inward at our lives. Like I said in my last post, I had a moment of depression and we needed to fully look at ourselves and see what we could do to change us for the better.

I took a new job where I was quickly, within weeks, offered the head chef position with a great salary and health benefits. I was still covering shifts at the coffee stand and was asking to be placed back on the schedule for one day a week. It seemed that I was going in the right direction for a career.

Everyone was so proud of me and my achievement. I was proud of myself and I wanted to prove my worth to anyone and everyone. The only problem was none of it seemed to work with the life that I wanted to live. The life that Cor and I wanted to live together.

I was working 50+ hours a week and once I took the new position I would be required to work 55-60 hours a week. I don't mind working hard or long hours, in fact I seem to enjoy it. But it meant that it would be less time in my home. Less time with my friends and family.

I have had two jobs or a job and school for almost the entire length of our relationship. I haven't been to a friends BBQ or seen a 4th of July firework in years. My, and in turn Cor's, quality of life was at a very low point. He often jokes that he is basically just a monogamous single man.  He enjoys the perks of living with a woman, clean dishes and sheets, but he misses out on the perks of having a partner to go do things and I miss out on EVERYTHING!!!

My friends can agree that I am barely a blip on facebook now. My family sees me on Christmas and Thanksgiving because those were the only two holidays I was ever to have off.

A change had to be made.

An opportunity came to me at the coffee stand and I was able to pick up 5 days a week with weekends off. What?! I jumped at the chance to do something I thoroughly enjoy at a place that I adore with customers that always make me smile.The idea of leaving work not stressed to the max with a million emails to respond to and fires to put out puts a smile on both Cor and my face!

It will be the biggest change in our lives since buying this house. Our income will be a little lower but we will have time. Time together. time to cook meals instead of eat out. Time to budget instead of spend. Time to enjoy each others company without feeling rushed. Time may just be the best gift we could have been given.

I can't even explain the amount of joy our decision has brought to me. I can't wait for a spring spent hiking our mountains, gardening, and projects. A summer spent in the river with friends and eating the veggies we grow and projects galore. And a winter spent baking and volunteering and finishing projects!

I'm looking at this as our trial period for learning to live on one income that is supplemented for when we decide to begin our family. That is the next great thing to come!