I’m sure it won’t surprise any of you to know I’ve been bogged down with the responsibilities of growing up and growing old.

Work, taxes, feeding myself nutritionally balanced meals, exercising as a hobby, traveling to see and maintain long-distance friendships, moving, becoming a pet parent, exploring careers and jobs, and reading a crap ton of books.

I’m not going to pretend that this is my formal welcome back and that now you’ll hear from me on any regular frequency, but I’ve had a little downtime, and I’m starting to feel that creative itch to do more.

To write more, to read more, to explore the world with more curiosity, to listen more, to learn more, to consume with intention more.

So here I am, attempting to scratch the itch by doing more creatively. I figured, why start something new when you can go back to using the domain you continue to pay for? 🤪

Before I talk about the future in a big, complex, planning way, maybe it’s time we reacquaint ourselves with the past. Well, not the past in the time since the plant was created past, just the past four years of life being hectic.

Since 2019:

• I’ve moved (what feels like 700 times, but in reality was only) 3 times.
•  I’ve adopted two kitties. Whiskey, the crackhead that chose me & Butterscotch (also known as Scotch), the fluff ball, snuggle buddy, easy-going girl who needed a warm home.
•  I started a business, cre8tives.co came to life in May of 2020 and has played some role in my life ever since.
•  I quit my first job at ALV & I made this podcast episode about it.
•  Oh ya, I started not one, but two podcasts. (People, Talking People & The Cre8tives.co Podcast)
•  I took my first big-girl marketing job.
•  I started outsourcing my work at Cre8tives.co.
•  I broke up with the guy I was dating.
•  I started dating a new guy who broke up with me.
•  I spent a stupid amount of time on dating apps only to discover that most people suck, but a handful are okay.
•  I started dating Aaron, the lucky dude off Hinge who talked me into more than two dates.
•  I’ve traveled a lot of the US by car & plane, and I’ve explored new cities like Denver, Dillon, Greenville, Atlanta, and more!
•  I lived alone and decided it was lonely, so I got roommates.
•  I’ve worked on awesome client projects, and some that ended with me in tears.
•  I’ve learned my boundaries and limits at work and in my personal life.
•  I nursed grief and let it carry me through hard and trying years.
•  I went to therapy and got clear on the things that matter to me.
•  I heard hard truths from my doctors about the “good things” that were not “good for me things” I was doing to my body.
•  I read a lot of books, fun ones, and a few educational ones.
•  I spent time in the sun, at the pool, dancing in the rain, and enjoying the snow.
•  I underwent the most traumatic experience of my life, getting my wisdom teeth out and having not one but two major oral surgeries in six weeks.
• I took the time to learn how to get along with my curly hair. 
• I mastered a gluten-free bread that tastes delicious & a bunch of other tasty treats—sugar cookies, lemon blueberry bread, pumpkin bread, chocolate chip cookies, waffles, apple crisp, and more. 
• I (made my mother very proud by) [getting] 3 more tattoos. 
• I pierced my nose and my ear (a few times).
• I bought a car – alone! 
•  I laughed, I cried, I fought, I won, I lost, I grieved, I found joy, I rested, I made peace, and I’ve still got a long way to go.

Sure, 2023 is here, and we’re halfway through tax season, which means, before you know it, it will be the middle of summer. But I’m soaking in the wildly transformative time the last four years of my life have been. Every year, I’ve found myself saying, “never in a million dreams did I think this would be what I was going to do right now.”

All I know is that in the middle of the wild and drastic changes my life has taken, I am consistently proud of myself for upholding the parts of me that make me proud.

“But Randi, what makes you proud?” Great question. Here’s that list.

• I’m working in a creative job full-time. I pay my bills by writing, and that is wildly fulfilling.
•  I have healthy and supportive relationships with myself, my friends, my family, and my boyfriend.
•  I continue to prioritize making time to explore my passions. Baking, reading, writing, snowboarding, etc.
•  I am comfortable setting and upholding boundaries that protect my mental health.
•  I consistently learn more about the ways I can continue to support the world and leave it better.

So if you’re still hanging on after this post and you are interested in potentially hearing more of my rants and ramblings soon, stick around. I’ll probably be back. Eventually. 🤷‍♀️

Like I mentioned above, I don’t know when you’ll hear from me or what I’ll have to say, but this has been fun, and it’s about damn time I put this domain back to use. 💜

Chat soon (hopefully 😂),

Randalyn