So if you've been following my blog for any period of time, you know that I moved A LOT over the past couple years. And this January...well, that would have been two years in one place (what?!). 

However...that isn't the case. My track record is holding strong! I am moving...yet again. 

I spent this past weekend...well, really, the past several weekends, packing up and moving things out of my house and either to other people's houses, the dump, or donation centers.

And let me just say...I. Am. Tired.

I can't wait until the packing, the deciding on what I'm keeping (or not) is over. It's been so much and I am beyond done with it. 

But this time...well, this time has been different. It has been freeing in a way it never has been before.

You see...I used to be attached to stuff. I've always been sentimental and "stuff" had that sentimental feeling attached to it. And in all my moves, every single one of them, I would move this stuff from place to place. Even if it was still packed in boxes. 

After having my world rocked this summer, I realized it isn't about the stuff in my life that is important. It's the people that are in my life. The relationships I've built. The friendships that have turned into family. And I can see how insanely important those relationships have been over this summer!

It wasn't the stuff that saved me. That kept me moving forward. It was the people (and God, of course). It was knowing that I could pick up the phone and have someone on the other end just be there for me. It was the messages I got, the offers of help, the dinners that were made, the lawn being mowed. It was knowing I am loved and cared for, above and beyond the craziness of my life. 

So this move? Well...this move has been different. I am literally donating and/or selling just about every piece of furniture I own. And I donated SO MUCH of my personal belongings and things that were packed in boxes for YEARS. You know...that sentimental stuff that I just HAD to keep. My trash and recycle bins (all FIVE OF THEM!) were packed last week with stuff that was literally GARBAGE. Like, for real...who keeps that stuff?! (Apparently me...ugh.)

I haven't the foggiest idea where I'm going or what my future holds, but I know that I am excited. I'm learning to trust God...to trust fate...that where I'm headed is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

And the norm? What I'm "supposed" to do? Yeah...I'm done with that. I'm done being predictable and mundane (even though my mom says I'm not, LOL). I want adventure! I want different! 

So...I'm changing it up. I'm not second guessing things in my life. I'm not second guessing myself. I'm learning to go with the flow. To be daring and spontaneous. 

Last week, I booked my first trip...to Okinawa. And I'll tell you what...it was unnerving. I had a lot of anxiety about being gone for almost three weeks (my poor Gizmo!), but now that it's planned? I am beyond excited! I CAN NOT wait for this adventure! 

I am ending 2017 on a high note and starting 2018 on an even higher one. I know the changes I've been through have made me stronger, bolder, more authentically ME! And I am excited for the journey I am on...to see where it takes me. 

What about you? How are you ending 2017? And what about 2018? What changes do you want to see for the new year? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! 

Have a beautiful week! Enjoy the last week of November! 

With love and wellness,
​Whitney

So I know I posted awhile ago about how much can change in a year. Well...let me just tell you...a whole heckuva lot can change in just TWO WEEKS!! 

Whew! I mean, my last two weeks have been a whirlwind!

Where to even begin...

Let's see...I rented my house out for 18 months, I found a small place to rent closer into Virginia Beach proper (I currently live in the country), and I am literally purging my household STUFF like you would NOT believe! And I move in 11 DAYS!!!!

At the beginning of November, I had no idea what was coming. My house was on the market and we were getting showings left and right, but no real bites. I was trying my hardest to not get frustrated or down about it because I knew I really didn't have a whole lot of control over it and that somehow, some way, God would work everything out for me. 

I had been praying for a buyer for my home; nothing major in my prayers, but saying it daily, often multiple times a day. After one particular disappointing showing, I looked up at God and said, "Please Lord...help me get out from under this mortgage...I don't want to take advantage of anyone, but I want to be able to help someone. Help this house be a blessing for someone." 

And within the next couple days, my realtor called me asking if I would be interested in renting it out. Turns out, the couple was having issues in their current home and needed to relocate quickly (not my story to tell, but it wasn't a pretty one!). Needless to say, they are moving in December 1, it is helping me in my current financial situation, and it is helping them out of their situation. I'd say God answered in a mighty way! 

With that, however, came the realization that I needed someplace to live! And fast! I started looking and quickly realized everything was basically out of my price range (for now) and texted my mom that everything looked hopeless (yes...I used those words). Wouldn't you know the very next day an amazing opportunity landed right in my lap? I couldn't have even dreamed it up!! 

My life has been full of changes this year. And while I originally viewed them as scary and unwanted, I have realized that more often than not, change is insanely beautiful. It's terrifying and often painful, but the end results are sometimes the most beautiful things. 

And that's exactly where I am right now. I embraced the changes of my life. I accepted that God had something different planned for my life. And I am going where He leads. I'm learning to listen for and to hear His voice.

And yes, it has been scary. But it has also been insanely freeing! I realized that I had an attachment to SO MUCH STUFF!! That literally doesn't mean anything! It isn't the STUFF I have that makes my life...it's the people and the relationships I have! And I have found that I am so incredibly blessed with the people in my life...and that? That is all I need! 

So this past weekend, I spent two days packing up, purging, selling, donating, trashing (you name it, I did it) all of the STUFF in my house. And it felt GOOD!! 

It is so freeing to let go of things that have been holding me back. I have a lot of emotional attachment and memories with the stuff in my house. And I'm at a place where I want to let it all go. I'm downsizing in a way I have NEVER done before (nor would I have been comfortable enough to do it), but I know this is what will set me free....will help me move on. 

These past six months have been some of the hardest in my life. I didn't often know what I was doing and I even more often questioned if what I was doing was right. I mean...there isn't a manual for this sort of thing. I got thrown into a mess and somehow have landed on the other side of it stronger than I ever thought possible. 

And the best part? The best part is that all of these changes have led to the realization that I don't necessarily want to be tied down to one place (in the sense of a house / mortgage / etc). And I FINALLY have the opportunity to take advantage of traveling and seeing the world! 

So yes...change is often insanely painful. And you don't always think you'll make it through the other side in one piece. And I can promise you it isn't always from point A to point B with no roadblocks. But what I can tell you is that it is necessary and beautiful and so worth it. 

It isn't always easy to embrace the change either. I know that. But if you are facing some sort of change in your life, take a breath and know that it won't always feel like the world is crumbling around you. Know that it won't always be tears and sadness and hopelessness. There will come tears of joy and laughter and HOPE. Keep moving forward through the change. Because that's all we can do. One step at a time, forward progress, head up and a smile on our faces.

I hope you all have a beautiful week. Head up, keep smiling and hoping! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney

There's something powerful about the statement above. I read it for the first time (at least in recent history) on Saturday while at a workshop I attended this weekend. And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I mean, I broke down in tears ton of bricks.

Far too often, we are in situations in which we feel powerless. We feel as if we aren't in control. Like nothing is ever going to change. Like we are stuck in our situations. Like where we are at that moment is it...that's all there is for us.

The beauty of life is that we can change our situations at any given moment! We literally have the power to make all the necessary changes we need to create our own stories, our own endings! Where we are in life DOES NOT have to be the end all, be all. 

But do you know what stops us from doing this? Why we spend YEARS stuck in a story that is making us unhappy? 

It all comes down to one word. 

F. E. A. R. 

We are so afraid of change. Terrified of it actually. We like the familiar. We like easy. We don't want to make waves, so to speak. 

So we suck it up. We pretend like everything is okay. We wear masks to show the world just how okay we are. The perfect mother mask. The perfect life mask. The perfect business mask. The "I have it all together" mask. 

While on the inside, we are MISERABLE. We cry ourselves to sleep. We make ourselves sick. We have addictions. We LIE to ourselves. 

And seriously, how much fun does that sound? 

​I can promise you, no matter how hard it seems, it is 100% possible to move past the fear and change the ending of your story. 

Yes, it takes courage. It takes acknowledging that you are unhappy about the situation you're in. And that, in and of itself, is often the hardest step.

But it IS possible. 

So where do you feel stuck? Do you feel unhappy in your situation? Do you cry yourself to sleep at night? 

Do the hard work to figure out WHY you are feeling this way. And then do the hard work to change the ending of your story. 

All summer long, I thought where I was was my story...that this was how it ended. That I had to stay in the same situation. That I was stuck. 

It wasn't until just recently and even more so this past weekend that I realized I have it 100% in my power to change the ending of my story. That where I was this summer WAS NOT the end of my story! And when that realization hit, everything changed.

The world really is my oyster and I'm going to take full advantage of starting over and being able to do what I want. 

I took the power back. And I'm excited for the new ending of my story. What about you? 

Have a beautiful week! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney

So I need y'alls help. You know I've had some big life changes over the summer and I've been trying to figure out what exactly I'm going to do after selling my house and all that mess. 

Here are some of the things I've been throwing around: 

A) Sell some of my household stuff and goods and downsize...like, truly live a minimalist lifestyle. Because, let's be real, we often get entirely too caught up in our possessions and material items. 

B) Sell ALL of my household stuff and travel the world, not really having a "home," so to speak. 

C) Or the dreaded one...get a "real job" and go back to work for "the man." Ugh. (No. Thank. You.)

I've always wanted to travel the world. To be adventurous. And I've lived some adventurous moments, but for the most part, I've lived a pretty boring, "normal" life. 

​I graduated college, started working for the government six months later (I "lucked" out in that sense), and then waited for the "right guy" to get married. I mean, it took me longer than I thought to find him, but hey...it happens. And of course, look how well that turned out. 

But I digress. 

So I worked for the government for just about 12 years. But I was so miserable. I dreaded going to work...with a passion. So I did something about it. I was brave and walked away. And I thought I had it all figured out. 

A little over a year later and my world implodes. My husband is arrested and our life falls apart. Well...my life does. And now I get the opportunity to START ALL OVER! 

Do you know that means? Originally, I saw this as a terribly negative thing. Like, holy cow, how could I possibly be starting over all over again?! Literally, from ground zero. 

But now? Now I look at it as I am FREE to make the choices I want to live my life exactly as I want! I get the OPPORTUNITY to do whatever it is I want! 

So what do y'all think? Should I travel the world? New experiences, new opportunities, new locations. There are, of course, downsides to this, but isn't that what life is all about? Taking risks, making changes, living life. 

Or should I downsize, get rid of my stuff, move into something smaller and enjoy LIFE, instead of focusing on STUFF? I love Virginia Beach and the life I've made for myself here. So I certainly would miss being here. 

See the dilemma? 

So weigh in for me. I'd love to hear all the sides of this. Anyone who has done this? Traveled the world after selling everything? Or downsized 100%? Give it to me...the good, the bad, and the ugly! 

I appreciate all of y'alls support and advice and love, so let me know what you think! 

Have a beautiful week! 

With love and wellness,
​Whitney