[Almost] Living the Dream

So much exciting news at the moment that I don't know where to start.

A week ago, I officially ran my first half-marathon, and totally rocked it! That epic run deserves a whole post of its own, so look for that in the next few days.

To be honest, I would have written about it sooner, and posted that ice cream recipe (although I want to tweak it some more first), but I'm crazy busy now. As in, I'm working full-time again for the first time in a year! Finally!

So yes, I got the job at Aqua Blue Creative. Well, on a contract basis for now. For the last three weeks, I've been working Mondays at my old job, and working the rest of the week at Aqua Blue. And I really do love it! It's so refreshing to be working with creative people again, to be getting timely feedback on projects and having deadlines, and to be pushing myself creatively again. It's also utterly exhausting, but in a fantastic way. And I'm already getting back into the swing of things. I was actually getting a little frustrated with myself because I used to find it easier to think of new ideas and create new designs, but after a year of only working 3 days a week, and not even really working most of that time, it's no surprise that I was feeling a little rusty. Everything's come flooding back though. It's awesome to leave at the end of the day with new ideas churning in my head, and being excited to get back into the office the next day to make them happen. And the projects! I'd forgotten how great it is to work on a variety of projects for all sorts of different clients. It keeps everything so fresh and exciting. A lot of our clients aren't very corporate - they want cutting edge design - so I get to break out of that stuffy box all the time. The team is wonderful too. Everyone seems so genuinely happy to have me there, and it's so great not being the only vegetarian! And to make everything even better, I'm about to start working there on Mondays, too. Ahhhhh! I can't get over how excited I am by all of this. When I left art school with my degree in hand, this is the vision I had for myself - working in an upbeat agency in the city with awesome clients, lots of deadlines, and enough work to keep me constantly busy. It's taken 3.5 years to finally get where I wanted to go, but I wouldn't change that journey for a second.

So, if this couldn't get exciting enough, I have more fantastic news. Since I'm now working in the city, I've been staying over at JJ's place quite a lot. I'll take a 5-mile commute over a 30-mile one any day. His lease is up at the end of November, and he and his roomates are going their separate ways. This is the perfect opportunity for us to get our own place in the city (something I've wanted to do forever, but was never practical before)! We've only known each other for 3 months, but this is just so right.

JJ went camping earlier this week, so he didn't have much cell phone signal for a couple of days, and it was pure torture. I felt like part of me was missing. My evenings were so empty because I wasn't getting to hang out with him or talk to him on the phone for a couple of hours. And to be honest, it shocked me a little. I can remember when I was dating James, and he'd leave for a week, he'd call me every night and want to talk for hours on the phone, and I used to get so frustrated, because that was the last thing I wanted. It was the only time I felt free in the relationship, and consequently, when he would return, I'd be all grumpy because he was invading my space and wanting to spend time with me.

But with JJ, there's no work, or feeling like I need a break from him. From the moment we say goodbye to the moment we see each other again, we miss each other. So often, we have the same thoughts or ideas about something at the same time, and I can't tell you how many times JJ's called me while I've been in the middle of sending him a text message. We're on the same page, ALL the time. It's beautiful. Recently I read or heard somewhere that when it's meant to be, it really is easy. We all hear about how much work relationships take, and yes, I know that sometimes you do have to compromise, and that you need to keep communication open and always consider your partnet as well as yourself. But I've put an awful lot of work into some really shitty relationships, and it never got me anywhere, other than feeling like I couldn't leave because I had put in all that work. But eventually, hopefully, you meet someone, and they take your breath away, and climb inside your heart and soul, and you can't imagine spending a day apart from them. They make it so easy to love them, and to be loved. And you just know. I honestly believe you do.

So soon, in December, I won't be [almost] living the dream. It'll be the real deal.