First Thing's First: An Introduction and a Plan

I love writing, but for a long time I've been struggling for topics. A lot of my entries started to look the same. I'm not getting rid of my other blogs by any means, but I do have some new topics to discuss beyond the realm of thought-provocation or emotionally-charged soapbox speeches. I have grownup things to discuss. From home to business, I feel myself growing up and becoming fairly savvy. Hey, when even your mom sees it, it's legit. From the age of 15 until the end of last November, I've held down crappy "teenager" jobs. Crazy/unpredictable hours, exhaustion, the misery of debt, and the horror of uniforms are things I'm quite used to. I found that everything I wanted to do in my life seemed out of reach. I didn't have the time or the energy or the money to eat healthy, keep my house clean, or do any projects. It was all instability, disorganization, and exhaustion. Fast forward to less depressing times...

Pictured: How I looked EVERY DAY at my last miserable job.

Pictured: How I generally look now.

I was griping on Facebook about having no time for life (I was working two and three jobs during the whole of last year and was still dead broke) when a friend of mine sent me a message. He referred me to his company, Answer Financial. It's an insurance agency sales center connected with around twenty carriers. Long story short, I applied, interviewed, and got the job! I went from working 5am-1pm and 3pm-10pm almost every day to working 8:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday. I went from wearing a threadbare polo and yoga pants every day to the underrated joys of business casual. I'm making more than I made at both jobs combined and that's just my base salary--bonuses will be coming soon. For the first time in years, a weekend actually means something. It was something to look forward to, a guaranteed break from the grind. *Sidenote: if you are looking for a job, send me a message or email! I'd love to help refer you.* For the first couple of weeks, I was in licensing training. A lot of studying was involved to pass that Property and Casualty Insurance Exam. After those crazy days were over, I just sprawled out on the couch whenever I got home. I relaxed and did pretty much nothing. It was nice...for a couple of days. Then I realized that excessive relaxation is really not relaxing at all. If I sit around too much, I feel restless and honestly a bit sick. Constant vegging-out does not equal a fulfilling or well-lived life.

In any case, I find my productivity increasing. I will be taking on various projects and posting about them. These projects will include everything from home stuff to things you NEED to know about your insurance. I'm a certified expert now, you know. Not a lot of people understand their current policy and it could end up causing them a lot of trouble in the future. I'm here to share my knowledge! That said, here's an intro to my first instituted project: meal-planning. I've planned out my meals for the next two weeks and bought the groceries on Wednesday. On my next blog (probably tomorrow or Sunday), I'll be posting that meal plan and a grocery list. Everything is nutritious, easy, and inexpensive...but a lot of it seems nice and fancy. Also, I've got some grocery and cooking tips to share. Bada bing, bada boom. Stay tuned.