LIFE UPDATE #1
A lot has happened since COVID-19 entered into our lives. For me personally, life looks a lot different now than it did in March. For a lot of people, COVID has brought a lot of pain, anxiety, and an overall feeling of unrest. While I can relate to some of those experiences, there has been a lot of good that has come of this season.
Part of me is wary of posting about the good that has happened in my life, while I know that has not been the case for most people. Thankfully, I have an audience of close to zero; this blog mainly serves the purpose of personal documentation. However, if you happened to be reading this, I doubt you find my intentions to be insensitive. Being an optimistic person, I see the importance of sharing the good news in the midst of a dark time. I find the kind of optimism that does damage is the kind that overlooks the pain and doesn’t lean into the rough season at hand (which is something I have been guilty of during this time).
Keeping this in mind, I want to share how I have been extremely blessed during this season. I am so deeply grateful for the people and opportunities God has put in my life. As much as this season has been marked with change, learning has been the overlying theme of these past couple months. I am undeserving of the patience and grace my friends and family have shown me. Thank you.
I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE 🎓
Not much to say here except I am so excited to be done! I learned a lot and I am really happy I went through college, but boy am I excited for this time to be over. My mom was so sweet and threw a little graduation ceremony for my sister and me (who graduated high school) in our backyard. School definitely felt anti-climactic, but this marks a special moment as I pass into another stage of life.
WE GOT ENGAGED 🎉
July 31st was a day I won’t forget. I remember pacing back and forth, trying to think of what to say and praying that everything would go smoothly. I remember her friends pulling up with her in the passenger seat as I was sweating of both nervousness and 100-degree weather. I remember walking her over to the area I set up for her. I remember giving her a big hug and starting to cry because I was so overwhelmed with emotions. And then the rest was a blur! Thankfully, she has a better memory than I do, so she was able to tell me that I did indeed ask her to marry me and she did say yes! It was a perfect evening for us. I can not begin to put into words the excitement I feel about spending the rest of my life with her.
SAYING GOODBYE 😢
For those of you who have known me for a while know that the past 3+ years, I worked at Fire & Brimstone; a small restaurant in Gilbert, AZ. These people have become my best friends and some of them feel more like family. This place and these people hold a lot of responsibility for who I am today. This is where I found a passion for food and hospitality, where I met my best friends and some other incredible people, and where I learned to be myself. I have an infinite amount of respect for James Johnston and what he has built with his restaurant. I am so grateful for my time here and wouldn’t change it for the world. Saying goodbye to this place was hard, but luckily it wasn’t the place that made it special, it was the people and they aren’t going anywhere.
SAYING HELLO 👋
I started a new job at Redemption Gateway! A church I have called home since 4th grade, I am beyond excited to serve these people as their Director of Digital Engagement (the above picture is not of me nor is it my office, but it’s the best picture I have of my job so far). I have been working at this new job for a month now and it’s nothing short of exciting. After graduating from college, I wanted to find a job where I could learn and grow as a filmmaker and a storyteller. Here, I am in charge of communication through content creation. Some of the work includes producing podcasts, social videos, and short films. This past month, I have been busier than I have ever been (my best friend Matt Celaya says if you have a Google calendar, that means you’re busy). But with being busy, I have learned a lot and finished more work than I have the past year. I am surrounded by people who take their job seriously but not themselves. I am so thankful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what God has for me and Redemption Gateway in the time to come.