This post is long. If you’re the kind of person who reads the last chapter first, scroll to the bottom for a short version.
For almost a year, this post has sat in my draft folder. I’d open it up, read through it, rewrite parts (or all) of it, then click “save draft” again and again. Time and time again, we’ve come so close, only to have things fall through. But now, it’s real and it’s happening.
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Sometimes, you know a life path is right from the start, but you don’t quite know how to say it. It has to rattle around in your head and your heart, collecting the words it needs to express itself. Sometimes you ignore it, because you’ve got other plans for yourself. But that path calls to you. And eventually, when your heart and mind find the clarity they need, you realize that path is meant for you. And you follow it.
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough” — Lowell Lundstrom
For me, that path was photography. It called to me. It was always there, in the back of my mind, whispering to my heart. The desire to be an artist was so strong, that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t deny that urge to create. To tell the stories. The decision to dedicate the bulk of my time to growing my business was the first step. And it was great. I started growing my business, then I quit my day job, and worked on it even more. It was liberating and terrifying and BIG. I knew I was embarking on the path I was meant to be on. But that wasn’t all. Even though starting my business was great, I still felt the pull. Something was…off. And when we sat down last summer, after a whirlwind visit to Spokane for a wedding, and Portland for WDS, we realized what it was: our long terms goals didn’t have us in Seattle.
At first, I wasn’t sure. I knew I didn’t want to deal with the traffic or the rain. H didn’t want to commute an hour to work. But I love Seattle. And H does too. And so we talked. We discussed our long-term goals as well as short-term. Our business and personal goals. Our dreams and wishes and hopes. And H start looking for different work. Work in Spokane. Because as much as we love Seattle (and I swear, we really do. It’s one of the quirkiest, most wonderful places in the world), it wasn’t the place we needed to be. And even though we knew it was the right decision, we had doubts.
This has been a year in the making. A year of ups and downs, of getting SO CLOSE, followed by weeks of nothing, of waiting, and wondering if we were making a mistake. But, it all worked out. Last week, H accepted a new job in Spokane. A wonderful, fantastic, perfect-for-him job. A job that not only allows us to move, but will further his career. A job that would create the life we were looking to live. A job that would allow us to be near our favorite snowboarding spots. A job that would bring us, as a couple, full circle. To the city that shaped our lives and brought us together.
“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.” — John Irving
What does this mean for my business? Not much is changing. I’ll be living in Spokane instead, but like I’ve always said have camera, will travel.
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Long story short: H got a fabulous new job, we’re moving to Spokane, but I’m still going to shoot in Seattle, and we all have to follow our dreams.
Emily, that’s so great! Congrats to you and your hubby for having the self-knowledge and awareness to follow your hearts to Spokane. Best of luck! It was great to meet you here at WDS! 🙂