By In the words of Britney Spears, “It’s been a while. I know I shouldn’t have kept you waiting, but I’m here now.” Yes, I did just quote a banger from her 2007 Blackout album so blame my lack of blogging for the last 2 years, but it felt like a fitting way to “Break the Ice” lol.
So what has been going on in the world of The Valiant Life? Well, life has gotten really interesting. We are still thriving and still figuring out our path. And in the midst of many changes, we are still incredibly blessed. I’m currently sitting by a window, looking at the beauty of Beaver Creek, Colorado. But this time, I sit here as a visitor. In July of last year, we packed everything we owned into a small moving truck and made our way to Texas. The move was gut-wrenching. The weeks leading up to it consisted of many tears and questions as to why we were leaving a place that we loved, the only place our son has ever really known.
On the evening of our last day in Vail while we packed the last items from our apartment, it started to rain. We stood by our moving truck, hurrying the final items into the truck before shutting the door when a double rainbow appeared. We all broke into tears. And that week, every time we cried, even on moving day as we drove up Vail Pass, “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd would come on the radio. I know it sounds silly, but the double rainbow and Ariana Grande belting out a tune made me feel like it was a sign… that making this move was for the best and there was no need to cry because God has a plan. I had no doubt that we would eventually be back to the place that we love.
It has been almost 10 months since we moved. We spent a couple of weeks in Vail in November and made it to Opening Day. On this current trip, we are fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks in Beaver Creek. We love our new home, our neighborhood, and the new friends we have made in Texas. We also happened to move to Hill Country which may be one of the prettiest destinations in the state. It is everything we prayed for. But as I sit here and take in the fresh mountain air and the beauty of the mountains, I feel a sadness in my chest that almost takes my breath away. I find myself holding back tears wondering why we were led to be elsewhere.
Today I felt compelled to come back to this blog. I needed to write these thoughts out and figured it was a way to catch up with those who have actually subscribed to this thing. I’m happy to report that even though I may be in my feelings at the moment, the past few months have actually been wonderful. In October, we got a new puppy. Her name is River Blue (see what we did there), she’s a German Shepard mix and is a great addition to the family. Jack is finally starting to love her too. She’s already been to 7 states!
In addition to our Colorado trip in November ’22, we took Riley to Disneyworld for his 12th birthday in October. We took our first international trip since Covid to London and Ireland in February ’23, went to Disneyworld again in March, Lake Tahoe in April, and now Colorado/Utah in May. Our neighbors think we’re nuts for always being away, but I think they’re starting to realize we are not your normal family in the suburbs.
Last fall, I decided to move away from social media. I realized my purpose on platforms such as Instagram no longer aligned with my original intent and with my current values. I realized I no longer enjoyed it and only posted due to “fear of missing out”. Then in the spring, I decided to resign from two positions I worked part-time for in Texas. One position as a hospice social worker and another as a trauma therapist. As of right now, I am in the process of rebranding, figuring out my purpose, and getting back to making a difference on the internet and in real life. I feel as if I have returned to 2015 when we quit our jobs to travel, reset and realign. Here I am, once again trying to figure out what the heck I’m supposed to do. Thankfully this time, we’ve all matured since then and I have a feeling wonderful things are in the works for all of us.
And lastly, I’ve decided to take the suggestions given to me throughout the years and start a vlog and podcast. Many well-meaning friends and family members have hinted that no one likes to read anymore! But to those of you who do, thanks for being here.
So cheers to new beginnings, to always taking chances, and to always being a work in progress! Let’s get this adventure started.
thevaliantlife.com 