I have written about Ryeson being out of school since March a few times, but I haven’t really brought it up over the past month too much, other than on Instagram. Mostly because it’s been me and him every day since we moved to the East Bay. 

Every day, with only a few hours for DEDICATED time to work -- around 6am for a half hour while Jeff got up with Rye, during nap time, and sometimes after Rye went to sleep (but, honestly I was usually just to worn out to do any deep-level writing or thinking). Over the past several months I've had to turn down gigs, writing opportunities, and speaking engagements because I was a work-from-home // stay-at-home mom.

My one solace during those long days, suck inside because of 90+ degree heat was taking him to kids care at the gym for up to two hours per day. It was a nice break, and sometimes I would work out, other times I would catch up on emails and writing from the locker room.

But now that he is back in school, I have my days back again… I am learning how to work full time again… And, honestly, I’m learning how to be myself again. 

Back To Work, In A New City

It’s different this time around, now that he’s in school. I live in a place where I don’t know many people in the East Bay, and I am trying to figure out what my next steps are in terms of a career. 

I am finding networking events, like speaking at Tuesdays Together, put on by the Rising Tide Society, or trying to connect with people at my Monday Cardio kickboxing class, or wine events happening at wineries in Alameda, and Berkeley - but it is surreal…. This is only the second time in my life where I lived somewhere where I didn’t know anyone (the first was when I moved to Sacramento, but quickly started school and working at a Starbucks, so I had a built-in social calendar).

I still have my Recipe for Instagram online course, and I still teach classes occasionally on Instagram, or social media marketing for wineries, sweet producers, and no solo entrepreneurs. 

And of course, I still write for Sonoma Magazine, SonomaCounty.com, North Bay Business Journal, and other publications, but I’m looking to expand to more broad topics outside of JUST Sonoma County (though, don’t worry, I will still write for all of these publications, as long as they will have me). 

It’s Okay To Not Know Your Next Steps

Right now is the first time in a long time that I am not sure what my next steps are going to be. And, right now I am trying to learn to be okay with not being in charge of that. I mean, Julia Child didn’t even release her first cookbook until age 49. Which means as of Sep 23 of this year, I will have 11 years to write my first book. Thankfully I have an outline and a few chapters that I wrote 4 years ago somewhere….