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Writer's pictureapriladventuring

5 Months After Quitting My 9-5

June 1st was the last day at my (remote) office job and it's been a fast 5 months since then.


I pictured it going differently.


In my head I would be traveling weekly, posting consistently on all my socials, and building a booming content business. I wasn't prepared for how much rest and reset time I would need.


Most of this time has been spent searching for a new apartment, moving into said apartment, getting my boyfriend moved into the same apartment, and catching up on sleep and gym time. And lots and lots of thinking.


My life and future have weighed heavily on my mind over these past months. I tend to get stuck in loops of planning and preparing when I should be creating, testing, failing, reviewing, iterating, and learning from my own actions. I'm reminding myself that Newton's First Law also applies to humans and our lives.


Shortened, it is:

 

An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion.

 

I've found this to be super true for myself. When I slow down and rest, I tend to stay that way. When I'm feeling motivated and start creating, I keep creating more. Right now I'm pushing myself to get into motion mode again. Inspiration doesn't come from consuming what others have created, but from getting out into the world and experiencing it firsthand.


The stagnation has come to a head and my boyfriend and I are teaming up to break out of it. Here are some things we're doing to get the ball rolling again:


  1. Working out regularly. This is super important to keep our mental and physical health in tip-top shape. Exercising gives me more energy and pulls me out of the couch potato state. We love hiking, going to the gym, rock climbing, stretching, and taking our dog for long walks.

  2. Getting outside every weekend. We've committed to going out to hike on every weekend during which we don't have camping/backpacking plans. Being in nature calms my mind and helps me center myself. I'm more able to draw on my own creativity instead of worrying what others think or copying what I see online.

  3. Keeping our home tidy and filled with objects that we love. A clean and organized space makes it so much easier to be productive. We always try to clean as we go and never let the apartment get too messy. We don't buy things that don't add to our lives in a positive way.

  4. Reducing consumption time. Being in a relationship makes it 100x easier to fall into the habit of watching shows or movies everyday and spending less time creating. We've spent far too many hours binging shows over the past couple months. Now that it's cozy season, we're being extra intentional about how we spend our time after work and prioritizing other activities, even if that means less time snuggled up on the couch.

  5. Finding time for creative hobbies. Even though my content creation is inherently creative, we're also making time for other hobbies to diversify our activities and find inspiration in more places. For me that looks like journaling, blogging, embroidery, photography, and baking. For him, the creative joy is most easily found in the kitchen. His brain is constantly thinking up new recipes and we get the additional benefit of enjoying his delicious creations! He also loves music and gardening, so our days are jam-packed with wonderful things.


Now that we're both (mostly) settled into our new place, we're itching to get active again! Fortunately in Los Angeles, the winter months aren't much of an obstacle when it comes to getting outside. We've been investing in more outdoor gear to share. I'm ready to start checking off the dozens of trails and campsites I've had pinned on Google maps for ages.


We're kicking off this next chapter with an exciting trip to Havasupai at the end of this week. I'm blessed to have my best friend from Seattle flying down tomorrow to join us on this backpacking excursion. This will be their first backpacking experience. What a way to try out this amazing hobby! I can't wait to share this time with them and show them the ropes. If all goes well, I'm hoping they'll be just as obsessed as I am and we'll all be planning our next outings soon :)


With the end of the year quicking approaching, now is the perfect time to get all our habits and schedules in line before the new year. I love kicking off a fresh calendar year feeling refreshed and ready to go. I'm antsy to pump out new videos and share as much information as possible about getting outdoors with anyone who would find it helpful.


With all that said, if there's anything you'd like to see or hear from me, please let me know! You can always reach out on Instagram or email me using this link. Even with the strategies listed above, I always appreciate getting ideas from you about what you want to see next :)


May your fall be filled with all the coziest goodness, plenty of baked treats, and tons of time spent outdoors.


Happy adventuring,

April

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