If 10-year-old me saw me now she wouldn’t be impressed. In elementary school I had made the determination that at 16 I would date a nice boy, at 20 I would marry that same nice boy, at 22 I would have kids and then I would live happily ever after. Pretty simple, right? It’s amazing how little minds work and how over time these things change. Our perceptions are not what they used to be, for as we age our parents become human beings with flaws and their own lessons to learn, and our beliefs and ideas about how we view ourselves shift and reform again and again. Coming on a quarter century now, I am at peace with the fact that I do not have children…though I wouldn’t mind being married soon (hint hint Tyler). My life has changed immensely since the young age of 10 and as I look back at what was and where I’ve come from to all that is ahead, my soul smiles.
I no longer feel “the weight of the world” so to speak. For a while there I felt quite attached to that ten-year-old timeline. As I grew, it grew, and I knew that having kids at 22 was out of the question. My goals shifted from those of a home and a family to that of a thriving career right out of college. When that didn’t happen, I was pretty let down…and lost. I’d spent my childhood trying to appease my parents, telling them that while I wouldn’t be the doctor or lawyer that they wanted me to be, I would serve my community through education. Deep down I have always been the creative type, so education felt like a good marriage of what I wanted and what my parents wanted. My parents could be happy with me having full-time employment with benefits. For me, education embodied fun activities, a chance to tap into my love of teaching, and loads of kid time. While my love of children, teaching and development stands, once I started my blog it was as if something else in me woke up. To tell you the truth, I had always wanted to be a song writer…If you can’t tell by now, I love love love to write.
Blogging has become this beautiful outlet that I pray deeply will turn into my full-time job someday. From taking photos to meeting new people in the Denver community, I love all that I have been able to do with my blog. I hope to continue to educate, but on my own platform. Educate women on balance, self-care, mental wellness and all there is to explore in the booming Denver area! Combined with my new business with Alice’s Table, I only hope to be able to reach, talk to, and network with the growing community even more. Alice's Table pushes me to truly get to know the various facets of the Denver community while teaching people the skill of flower arranging, which I personally think is the bomb diggity! I feel both grounded and excited about these endeavors and what all is in store for the future.
25 looks good.
My letter to you:
Sometimes reaching personal happiness can take more time than we’d like…it could mean waiting on the right job description to pop up, waiting on the right guy, perhaps it's working overtime to create a solid business plan and getting the funding. Maybe you’re like me, and you’ll find your next move while watching Shark Tank…whatever your hurtle is, do not be discouraged if you do not reach personal peace and achieve all of your goals overnight. Pray about it. I cannot stress enough how much this has helped in my personal journey. Sometimes we don’t need to come up with the answer, sometimes we just need to wait on it. I have spent far too much time trying to solve my own problems, only making myself crazy with what-ifs and if-onlys. Breathe. Every day is a new chance for a positive change. I know that in those tough seasons it can be hard to believe in better days ahead…but they’re coming.
With love…
Aloha,
25-year-old Nandi
PS. Taking photos with giant number balloons is a lot harder than it looks!
