Once upon a time in a far off land called Iowa, I pointed left and said, “take me to there!”  With a *poof* I materialized in the misty, deep green silhouette of the Cascades with nothing but a crown and a Subaru. The good people showed me the way, and bestowed upon me good fortune. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, and found a place to call my second home. So it came as a shock to both myself and others when I announced that I’m leaving indefinitely on October 1st.

Wait, what? Portland is great, the job is fun, and I have awesome friends! What happened to the fairy tale?! Am I ill? Did somebody pick on me on the playground? Do I need to eat something?  No, no, and yes please! My diagnosis is that I’m suffering the ailment of the charmed life. I’m feeling comfy– too comfy.

Wait, that’s a bad thing?

*cue crowd in yoga pants gasping*

Stare all you want, spandex-ed humans! While you’re at it, throw me a tube of bright lipstick and a scarf to blow in the wind!  I want to flirt with the big city. I have an address book with blank pages reserved for unmet friends. I have a passport to stamp, and a career to lasso!  I have dance floors to twirl on! 

In short, I’m ending my time in Portland because if I have one more person tell me “do it while you can” in reference to checking off my daydream to-do list, I will be the idiot who didn’t take the advice. No kids? No pets? No mortgages? Heck, can I be 24 forever?!

I won’t tell you what adventures are in the queue because that would make me a psychic blogger. Let’s agree that “psychic blogger” is not a good resume booster. What I can predict is that I’ll start by going home to Iowa to refresh and be with my family. Then, I’ll dive in on my Miss Oregon Organization projects (yes, pageant friends, that means I’m still doing my job!) and professional-y things so that I can get back on my heels and kick some career ka-toosh. Once the holidays are over and the egg nog is gone it will be time for a plane ticket, location: somewhere new.

If you’re looking for me, I’ll be here. Typing a mixed refreshment of my amorphous, twenty-something philosophy and muses I find fancy and fabulous. I can’t imagine my life without Oregon, so I’m telling myself I’ll reclaim residency someday, though I don’t know. No matter what, I’ll carry with me the state motto: “She flies with her own wings”.

Cheers, friends! To “doing it while you can”!

XOXO,

C

*puts lipstick on*

*blows dust off of laptop keyboard*

Ahhh hello you! My fingers are feeling chatty again, and the universe has been calling me back to my little corner of the internet. Thank you to those who have encouraged me to write again! Guess what, it meant a lot! Let’s get caught up.

Last time we chatted, I had just started my job as a beauty expert. Update: I’m still burning at that 40 hour workweek, and over the past few months have become a bone fide hoarder. My desk drawers, purses, and bathroom  cabinets are not enough to hold all of the makeup and skincare goodies I possess. At work I blog about products I love, lead makeup tutorial seminars, and give product advice. Of course I also have to track lost packages and process returns, but for the sake of your fantasy of my life, just imagine me calling to file a claim with the post office while doing this:

Because you are probably wondering: I haven’t found the fountain of youth yet. Please know that when I do I’ll make sure to not tell you what it is, and sell it for all of the money in all of the world.

I’m finding out that for me, 24 will go in the books as living la vida Portland. My schedule is more consistent than ever, and I live for the weekend. This summer was filled with  concerts, outdoor adventures, pageant shtuff, Pacific Northwest travels, a bit of romance, plenty of cocktails, and oodles of laughter. It felt like this:

And looked like this:

In the words of the late James Brown, “I feel good”.

As far as chasing my dorky chick dreams, I’ve got some things stewing and brewing. I’ll be back in my little corner of the internet soon to update.

Cheers, have one last glass of summertime wine and let’s see what changes with the leaves this fall. Spoiler: it won’t be my hair color.

XO,

C