I suppose I should start this post off with a small introduction because that’s how all good things start, isn’t it? You have to know who the person is to even care about what they’re saying :]
Like Tabitha said, my name is Kate and we met waaaay back in the day when we were young hooligans in college (Side note: young = 2 or 3 years ago and hooligans = talking out of turn in Italian class. We were rebellious, what can I say?).
I started my blog Live Inspired when I decided to up and move to Nashville. I have a bad habit of wanting a steady stream of change and spontaneity in my life and my sudden move to Nashville was a product of that. I moved with an acquaintance and it was by far the best decision of my life. Neither of us had a job, we had to find an apartment in 1 day, and I was in a city where I only knew my friends' second cousin. You might be asking yourself, “What? Why does this seem like a good thing? Sounds pretty irresponsible to me.” and you’re right... It was. But that’s how I knew that I could put on my big girl pants, make friends out of complete strangers, and ‘make it’ on my own.
I’m lucky. I have a supportive family and a great group of friends, but there’s something about seeing who you become when all of that (okay, most of that) is stripped away and all you have is yourself. You find that talking to random strangers at your local Starbucks isn’t as scary as you think it might be. You find that when people tell you, “Stay off of _______ street at night” - you stay off of ______ street at night. You find that if you need to work two jobs to afford Smart Ones frozen dinners, then you do what you have to do.
I thought I knew who I was before I moved away, but sweetheart, I found out quickly that I hadn’t learned a gosh darn thing. By writing my blog, I found that I truly express myself best through words. There’s something about the elegant string of phrases and syllables that just expresses who I am and who I hope to become. I was able to take my life, turn it upside down, and see things for what they really were through fresh new eyes.
For me, that was moving to Nashville and recording my thoughts and emotions online for the world to see (and by the world, I do mean the 30 people who regularly read my blog). I was able to learn what it was like to get lost and have to find your way home without a GPS, make new friends by saying, “I just moved here” and eating new foods (I would do anything for some sweet tea and a biscuit right now).
I was inspired. I felt new. I felt refreshed. I felt like I had rediscovered what it felt to be alive and what being alive truly meant. It meant not knowing who I was. It meant not knowing if I would make friends. It meant working hard for what I want. It meant following my heart whether that took me to Nashville or took me 5 minutes away from my hometown.
I’m back in Michigan now, but I wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world. I am who I am today, as I’m sitting in a bakery writing this blog post, because I up and moved without knowing what would happen tomorrow. The unknown can be thrilling if you let it be.
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