Another Monday is upon us, and another snow day to start the week. Mind you, if we get an inch or two, that will be A LOT but it is supposed to be coupled with a wintery mix. Needless to say, it is not conducive to the scheduled photos that were on the docket for today. This has happened the past few Monday’s and, actually, I am wondering if it is a sign to start using the start of the week as my day to stay put, plan, and just get shit done. My job requires attention 7 days a week, and even my weekends are full of work, seeing clients, hosting business meetings/happy hour’s (like I did last evening), etc. My long winded point is I may need to start making Monday’s MY DAY. On a different note, this wintery weather has me longing for blue skies – we did see the sun this past weekend – and a lovely 80 degrees with a breeze. If you have ever visited or lived in Southern California this is the very weather you get pretty much year round, give or take a few months of course. And in honor of “National California Day” – go figure – I want to share a little bit of why California will always be part of my heart, and why I will forever be so grateful.

Why the “Golden State” will always be part of my heart…

California, specifically Santa Monica, has always felt like home. I don’t know why but I had/have always loved visiting, and then I lived there back in 2017 while continuously traveling back & forth up until last year. In fact, I seriously considered moving there, post 2017. Yes, it is ridiculously expensive but my being there really allowed me to let my guard down, work on myself, feel creative & energized amongst entrepreneurs and business owners, and I just thrived. Beyond the weather being gorgeous, and the amazing coffee shops, restaurants, bars, shopping, and surrounding areas that seem out of a movie – Beverly Hills & Malibu were 2 of my other playgrounds – it was such a good fit. Yes, what was left in my bank account was tapped but, you know, I felt I deserved it, needed it, and I was going to figure it out.

The only part of California that will not have my heart, and, no, this is not grounds for discussion/debate – the politics. End of story, and that is all I am going to say.

What will be part of my heart forever & always is the amazing gift that Santa Monica gave me. It was the gift of independence, confidence, a renewed sense of self, and letting go of the thought that I would forever be defined by getting divorced. The feeling of “starting over” started to not feel so scary. While it was a hard thing to shake now, more than ever, my past life is such a distant memory and, absolutely, not the life I was supposed to have.

These are big lessons learned and, no, I do not wish going through what I went through on anyone. When you finally come out of it, though, and the image of your once blurry future is, now, crystal clear, it is kind of an amazing thing.

And it kind of feels “woo woo” all at the same time. Ha! If I can give any words of wisdom, if you feel that you need a change, or you need to get out of your own way, changing your environment (and not just moving from your office to your kitchen) is one of the healthiest things you can do. I am such a huge proponent and it’s amazing what it can do for you.

In fact, it could very well be life changing. 

Here’s to a fantastic week!

xoxo