I had so many emotions going into this birthday season. My birthday has always been my favorite holiday outside of Christmas and Easter, naturally I celebrate it like it’s never going to end. A friend put it best the morning of my birthday, “Look at how much you have accomplished, I wouldn’t want to be 20 again for anything”.  I gotta admit, that hit home. I have accomplished, learned, and grown so much in these last five years let alone 10. So, I am going to share three pieces of advice that I have learned along the way that I would tell anyone at this stage in my life as well as share a bit of where I am now, my new dream, as well as my new grown up job.

Show Gratitude // Be genuinely thankful. Especially to those around you that you might not notice are helping make your life easier. For example: delivery drivers, waiters, custodians, someone holding a door open etc. A smile and a simple thank you has the difference to make anyones day a little bit brighter and takes no effort from you. I love it when I not only thank them but take time to get to know these helpers in my life, not only do I learn from them but I leave knowing that I made a new contact and sometimes friend. This could go in a different direction as well,  I have been taking it upon myself that anytime something good or bad happens I thank God right away for whatever he wants me to have or not have. I was on my knees, crying and a complete mess praising Jesus when I got my job offer but I also thanked God on days that He has delayed me in the morning as there must have been a reason He needed me to be behind MY schedule. Gratitude is a deep, complex narrative but it only takes a little bit to open that door and change someone’s attitude. You never know how much you can impact someone’s life with a simple smile.

It’s ok for your Dreams to Change // I always sigh when I say this and remember Flynn Rider’s line in Tangled, “You’re My New Dream.” As a dreamer and a goal oriented person it is a brutal hit to have your dreams change midway. It’s as if you lost something and you get a little down possibly broken hearted, but that’s not it at all. Yes, those were your dreams in that moment, in that phase of your life but God has changed your dreams because you are in a different moment and a different phase in your life. Let me tell y’all a bit of a secret, at the beginning of the Summer my plan was to move to Florida this Fall. I was actually going to build myself a house and during the weekend of my birthday the plan was for me to fly down and sign on the dotted lines. As I’ve mentioned before, my Summer was a rollercoaster. God was changing EVERYTHING! It started with Hemi, my Truck catching on fire and me buying my dream car, Celeste my Jeep Wrangler. I spent my savings I had for my house on the Jeep delaying my move a couple of years. Later I landed a dream job, and I knew the moment after I interviewed that if I was offered the position I would not be leaving Michigan anytime in the near future. If I’m lucky we’ll start talking about retirement! 😉 At first I was lost, confused about what to do with all of my Florida dreams, and then it hit me… This was my new dream. Thriving in this stage in my life and saving for a condo in my hometown became my new dream. Don’t look back, look forward because that’s the direction that God is leading you. Unless you’re Marty McFly on a mission to save his family and reunite his parents at their high school dance.

January 2019 // At my hotel in Port Canaveral, always a fan of Space! 😉

Reach for the Stars // Did I know in January when I was in the middle of the Caribbean laying next to my best friend with our feet up in the air watching the lunar eclipse for 4 hours that that was the beginning of my space adventure? Absolutely not, I couldn’t have dreamed of this even if I tried. Granted there is a special space anniversary happening this year, but the signs that I received surrounding it were undeniable. In June I started stocking up on star themed items for Fall, from purses, shirts to jewelry. Being in Fashion I always need to be a season ahead and I knew I needed to start preparing. There were so many signs that God sent me that looking back it is absolutely hilarious. At the end of June I applied for a position, and received a few emails scheduling an interview by mid July. On August 14th I accepted the position and started my new adventure on August 29th. What is this new adventure you ask? Well, I kinda work for NASA and the University of Michigan. Better yet, I represent NASA for the entire state of Michigan under the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC). Which our main office is located on North Campus at the U of M. I am a Marketing Communications Specialist and I get to work with 11 affiliate universities around the state helping fund and further student’s dreams of space. I get to help and inspire other’s dreams, those that are reaching for the stars. Granted not everyone’s dreams will be as literal as space, but nonetheless reach for the stars y’all!

January 2019 // Watching & Waiting for the Lunar Eclipse in the Caribbean

August 2019 // The week I accepted my new position, of course I had to do a photo shoot to announce to family and friends

October 2019 // Apollo Astronaut Tony England and Myself at the MSGC Conference

September 2019 // My first design with MSGC come to life!

Cheers to 30! I can’t wait to see what changes are in store for me still this year. I’m also excited for my new dreams, my new goals and my new life that God has prepared for me.

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Have a blessed week y’all, and enjoy a piece of cake for me! 😉 Space Girl over and out!