Let me introduce myself

Hi, all! I’m Amanda. I’m a marketer/designer by trade, and was born, raised, and currently reside in Central New York. I consider myself to be a creative problem-solver, animal lover, and slight perfectionist. My favorite pastimes are traveling, drinking coffee, solving puzzles, eating pizza, and snuggling my old horse and recently rescued pup.

I’m regularly inspired by both the simplicity and complexity of nature, life, and love. I try to confidently live each day with gratitude, grace, and purpose because I know how blessed I am.

I have a family and friends who love me, I’ve traveled to places that some will never have the opportunity to visit, I studied fields that fascinate me at my dream colleges (proud Cazenovia College and Marist College alumna right here!), and landed a perfect job just six months after completing my undergraduate studies.

I was hired as part of the marketing team for a not-for-profit whose mission was to support a local university and it’s students. From the start, I loved the company and its purpose; I felt the job was made for me. I loved the benefits, the flexibility, the people, and my team. I loved that it wasn’t far from my family or my horse. I loved that I didn’t have to sacrifice who I was or what I enjoyed in order to be successful.

And then COVID-19 hit.

Within a week of the virus penetrating the United States, I found myself, along with thousands of others across the country, laid off of work.

In the blink of an eye I felt completely disconnected from the campus and the company I adored. To say that I was overwhelmed is an understatement. I had just recently purchased a house and adopted my pup, how was I to get by without my paycheck? And since we’ve been asked to practice social distancing, what was I going to do with all of that time stuck in isolation?

Despite my fears, I recognized and understood that, although I didn’t have any control over this unanticipated, monumental, life change, I still had control over my mindset. I wasn’t given a return-to-work date, but my lay-off is temporary and I am thankful to be able to collect unemployment in the meantime. I also feel that, whether it is fate, my subconscious, or the powers that be, I am being asked to slow down, be mindful, and to give myself some breathing space.

So here I am, starting a blog, wanting to share my journey with you. I hope to learn a lot, grow a lot, and write a lot, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.