Whirlwinds of the New Year
This past week I sat down at work, looked at the date and read February 22nd. How in the world has the second month of the year almost already passed and March is here? I thought.
It seems like someone hit the ultra-fast forward button as soon as February 1st rolled in. Do you feel it too?
It honestly boggles my mind that in a matter of days I will board a flight to Europe for a month. It's a dream come true to be able to go back to one of the countries that have stolen my heart and visit a few more that no doubt will hold a piece of my soul for years to come.
As I look back on how quickly these last few weeks and the first months of the year have gone, there are beautiful little golden nuggets of the provision from Papa.
At the start of the year, I was incredibly concerned about my finances. Let alone how I was going to pay for a trip to Europe, but simply to live in general. I ended up googling "Temporary jobs near me" and good ol' Google ended up getting me in touch with a local staffing agency.
A week later I went in for an in-person interview and met not just with anyone, but with the franchise owner, who asked if I would be interested instead of the two jobs I applied for, in working at their office.
Hello Papa, I see you!
A few days later I followed up and went back into the office and shadowed the gal on the front desk. I accepted the position later that same day.
Little did I know, this wasn't just any job, this was an opportunity to grow in a professional sense, a business environment, and to make some life long friends.
For years, I never thought that I would be able to work in an office. I remember, years ago, I was filling out a questionnaire for one of my professors who wanted to get to know us better. One of the questions was, "Where do you see yourself in a professional sense in 5 years." My answer: "Not a desk job- EVER!!!" The thought of being confined to a 9-5 desk or cubicle made my skin crawl. It felt like the creativity, the adventure, the bare bones of my soul would be sucked away.
Little did I know that I would come to love this desk job.
I get to answer the phones, talk with people, hear some of their stories and help them find something that will not just pay the bills, but actually, ignite their fire.
There's something about this amazing company I've gotten to work with that is nothing short of amazing. The culture that has been created here is empowering, uplifting, creative, and fun. The employees care about one another personally and professionally and work together as a team to ensure that everyone who comes in is treated with respect, dignity, and most importantly, kindness. I am in awe of the blessing that they are and the way that they run their company.
One of my dearest friends, Rachel, spoke some incredible wisdom into my life when I was sharing with her how much I love this job. She knows me so well and knows that my spirit can't always be contained in four walls. She said, "Gwen, maybe God gave you this job so that you could learn that you can actually do an office job. And maybe he gave you such an incredible place to work so that you could know what kind of atmosphere you'll work best in if you work in an office."
Talk about straight fire- truth!
She's quite right too. I've learned these last few weeks that while I never thought I could work in an office unless I was in dire need of a job, I can actually do it, and do it quite well. I've surpassed my own expectations of how I work with others and the things that I enjoy doing.
I've also been back at the 'Bucks. Sometimes my love for coffee runs too deep for me to ever think about leaving.
It's been fun to be back with something familiar. It's easy to slide into the rhythm of early mornings, sunrises, the scent of coffee lingering on my clothes and my hair. I enjoy the comradery of my new store and the simplicity of talking with new customers and learning their lives and drink orders.
While my life most definitely does not look like what I thought it would this time last year, I am so incredibly thankful for it. It has been such a blessing to try a new job, meet new beautiful humans, and now I am about to head across the pond. I am so thankful, so grateful for all of the amazing opportunities that consistently come before me.
Of course, I am also still LOVING the feedback from everyone about my book Wandering 20's.
Thank you SO much from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has ordered one and left a review! It means the world to me to have your support in this venture. Don't worry, there's still time to get one! You can purchase one on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and BooksAMillion.
You can definitely order from me as well if you'd like to receive a note from me to you inside! I'll ship them out in April when I'm home!
If you want to stay up-to-date on all my European adventures, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @gdebaun12! I would love for you to join in on all the fun, adventure, and wonder that we get to behold while we are there!
I hope and pray that your March is filled with reconnected to your own passions, dreams, and desires. And that you are presented with some amazing opportunities to grow in ways you never thought you would.
