you are here

For the past couple of years, I have really struggled with the feeling of being lost and directionless. I have thought about and talked about what I might want to do with my life. I have searched for meaning and I have wondered what (if anything) I had already accomplished in my short life.

Well, dear friends, in this past week I have finally figured out what it is I want to do with my life. It kinda hit me like a frisbee to the face or a 2 x 4 to the knees. For the time being, there are some things I would rather keep to myself seeing as I don't have all the kinks worked out yet. I've decided that I don't want to create a very specified plan on how to accomplish my goals, because I feel like that has been my downfall in the past. I try to plan too much and then when things don't go exactly right I start to feel like I've failed. I've finally realized that you can't plan out life down to every detail because things happen that you don't plan on.

Anyways, I'm feeling pretty confident about the goals I have in mind. I've already started taking steps to accomplish them.

I can tell you that my biggest goal right now is to buy a house. I have already started working towards this goal by being more careful with my finances and paying down my debt. I'm really excited to start putting some money away. I have a new coworker who sells real estate who is really excited to help me start this process.

She's been great because she understands that I'm new to this process and she wants to make sure I get something I love, something I can afford, and she wants to make sure I do this the right way. She loves working with buyers because she loves getting excited with them as they start looking for a new home.

I really want to pay down my debt. I am 24 years old now. I want to be completely debt free by the time I'm 26. I have less than $12,000 in student loans left and that is the ONLY debt that I have. I do not have a credit card and I never have. I plan to never have a credit card in my name. I have adopted the philosophy that if I need a credit card to purchase something, I can't afford it and therefore don't need it. The only debt I plan to have at age 26 is a mortgage.

So that's my big news. And all I have to say at the moment. :)

lindsayallison

the end is near

Ah, the end is coming!

No, no, no, I'm not talking about the end of the world. I'm talking about the end of all the long hours and hard work we've been putting in at the store to get ready for the opening next week!

I can hardly believe that tomorrow is our LAST day of fixing things up and cleaning before we start bringing "outsiders" into the store next week!

On Monday, we have other businesses in the area coming to tour the store. After that, we have the media coming in to tour the store and take pictures and all that. After all of that, we have a few hours to get ourselves all prettied up before our families get to come in for family night! It's going to be so exciting because so much of the support staff will be there! And our families will get to see all of the hard work we've been doing for almost two months! Plus we get to be the first ones to shop the store and that's gonna be so awesome!

Tuesday we get the day off. There is a big gala that night for big wigs from the city get to come and look around. The managers are going to work that one so us regular kids get the night off.

Then wednesday morning is the big day! Ribbon cutting will happen first thing in the morning and then we are OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

So all in all, I guess the hard work is really just beginning!

lindsayallison