Hey There, Chelsie

Blogging & Business

What I learned during my (unplanned) Blog Break

Hey There,

Itā€™s been a hot second. Sometimes life just happens and gets in the way more than I could ever anticipate and thatā€™s what happened during the end of March. In case you missed it, Dustin left his job in AZ and we packed up everything and moved to Louisianna so he could come back to his sales team here. And in the midst of all the chaos, I ended up taking a very unplanned blog break. Weā€™re finally settled for the most part and should be getting internet tomorrow (currently writing this from a McDonaldā€™s) and Iā€™m so excited to finally be writing again. I canā€™t tell you how much Iā€™ve missed it. Anyway, I wanted to share a little bit of what I learned during the last two weeks and give a little life update on whatā€™s been going on here:

 

What I learned on our Roadtrip:

  1. Between Tuscon, AZ and El Paso, TX you will see ONE MILLION BAJILLION billboards for something called: “The Thing?” And Iā€™m not exaggerating. There was one stretch where there were 8 billboards in a row, all for “The Thing?” You pay a dollar and look at what they “think” is a mummy. Itā€™s also attached to a gas station, so itā€™s obviously legit.
  2. The signs on the Texas freeways are terrible. They basically donā€™t exist. Donā€™t expect to see a sign for an onramp to the freeway. Also, the exit signs come BEFORE the exit, so donā€™t try to pull off the freeway until after. Oh and their on-ramps are not even 50 yards (compared to the beautiful 150-yard on-ramps in the rest of the country) so trying to get up to speed in a hybrid Escape while towing a uHaul is basically like dancing with death.
  3. Speaking of Texas, driving through Houston is ridiculous. There are a MILLION tollways that your GPS might try to take you on and you canā€™t actually go on them unless you have the EZpass. So, avoid them at all costs.
  4. Buc-eeā€™s truck stops are worth the stop, every time. Itā€™s more than gas, itā€™s an experience. Also, their Boston Baked Beans are amazing and Dustin gobbled up his Pastrami Ruben in a record 3 minutes.
  5. If you are traveling with a pup, we cannot recommend staying at a La Quinta enough. Not only did they welcome Rosie with big smiles, they didnā€™t charge us any extra fees to have her stay and tried to put us on the first floor so we could easily take her out to go potty. She loved zooming around our room with her hedgehog and looking out the windows!

What I learned about my blog:

  1. I thought that I was going to be able to write a bunch of posts during mid-march and get them all scheduled out and ready to go while moving, so I could still produce content and not worry about it. I was wrong. Minus two posts that HAD to get out because they were sponsored, I just couldnā€™t get the content planned out ahead of time. My office was full of boxes and my desk was covered in random stuff to pack. Typing from an air mattress was super uncomfortable and I was so overwhelmed by all the cleaning that I just couldnā€™t focus, at all. I know that I need to line up some guest posters for the next move so I just donā€™t have to worry about it.
  2. I love my blog. I have missed it so much over the last two weeks and itā€™s been so hard to not be creating for it every day. I love connecting with all my blogging friends and those who read this space and I love writing. While it was nice to be able to focus in on real life for a little bit and to be fully present during our last couple days with our friends in AZ, I really and truly missed my community here.
  3. Sometimes, being away from my blog allows me to really brainstorm without distractions. Not only do I have a HUGE announcement coming later this week, but Iā€™ve got it all outlined and ready to go!
  4. Even though I wasnā€™t actually writing the last two weeks, Iā€™ve still be able to hustle in the background. March has been my BIGGEST month so far as in income and itā€™s been so motivating to not only be able to finally pay for some much-needed upgrades for my computer but also invest in some lighting equipment AND still have money left over! Iā€™m so encouraged and motivated for this new month!
  5. My friends in the blogging community still have my back. Even though itā€™s been quiet here, so many friends have sent me emails, snapchats and FB messages to check in on me and to check in on Rosie Roo (who had to have emergency surgery 5 days before we left AZ because she got mauled at the dog park.) Thank you, thank you, for being so kind and encouraging and for making me feel important and valued.

What I learned about myself:

  1. I am more adaptable than I give myself credit for. Dustinā€™s company provides our apartments here in Louisiana and furnishes them so we donā€™t have to move all of our stuff. We requested a 2 bedroom so I could have an office space, but there was a mix-up and we ended up in a very spacious apartment that only had 1 bedroom. I had a 5-minute meltdown about it and then realized that there could be bigger problems, so I adapted. Dustin and I created a little office nook by the big window and I know Iā€™ll still be able to get work done.
  2. I love Harry Potter just as much as I did when I was a young girl. And although Iā€™ll never get to experience reading them for the first time again, watching Dustin listen to them for the first time is almost as good. We drove 11 hours on Thursday and listened to number 3 (the Jim Dale versions, obviously) from start to finish and it was AWESOME! Dustin got so into it and I loved watching him experience all the plot twists for the first time.
  3. Making sure that I take the time to love myself during this move was something I forgot to do. My husband, thankfully, remembered and treated me to a surprise massage on the day we moved all the furniture into storage. It was so nice to be able to take a couple hours and escape from everything and just feel loved on. I felt so refreshed and relaxed after and made it a priority to love myself a little bit more during the second week of our moving process.

 

Moving and supporting my husband with this job change has been a huge leap of faith for me. But, I have to remember the huge leap of faith he took on me about a year ago when I left my job so I could blog full time. Iā€™ve never been happier and although itā€™s been a lot of work, itā€™s finally starting to pay off. I know that Dustin will always find a way to provide for us and I am so proud of him for being willing to risk so much to chase his dreams. And, I canā€™t wait to blog about it along the way.

What things have you learned about yourself/your blog recently?

P.S. Iā€™ve had two of my blogging friends message me and tell me that since reading my SoFab eBook, theyā€™ve been chosen for sponsored posts! HOORAY! Iā€™m so glad that itā€™s helping my friends be successful. If you havenā€™t gotten your hands on it yet, you can download it below for free!