I have learned over the years to never say never. Because life is crazy, and messy and unpredictable. And honestly, we all change and evolve over time. I am pretty sure that if you would have asked me 10 years ago, I could have told you with 100% certainty that I would never live in Alabama. Yet, here I am seven years in.
If you would have asked me just a year ago my thoughts on being a full time working mom, I would have told you that was what would make me the happiest. I couldn’t fathom the idea of staying home all day every day with a kid and no adult interaction. I thought it would be maddening. Turns out that working from home and getting to see Zoe all the time has made me feel so fulfilled and so very happy. I cant tell you how many times I have cried in the last week because I know that I am having to return to the office full time and will be putting her in day care soon.
You you could have told me that I would do a month of Whole 30 two years ago and I would have thought you were crazy. Me give up dairy, and grains, and sugar and alcohol for an entire month? Eat that strict? Nope, no faith in myself on that. And yet, in January 2016 I did just that and it was awesome.
When skinny jeans came out several years back, I thought to myself…yeah…not for me. Now? I am pretty sure the only jeans I have worn in the last two years have been exclusively skinny ones.
In high school and college I was a silver only kind of girl. Never even thought of gold as an option. Now, half my jewelry box is gold or rose gold. Still love silver, but I have expanded my collection to be more versatile. I even have some gold things around the house. gasp
I used to be a fast paced city living girl. I lived in downtown Atlanta for years. I thrived there and knew my way around the city and loved that life. Now we live 35 minutes outside of Birmingham in a quiet little town that pretty much no one outside of the county we live in has even heard of. You know what? I love it. Have you ever really seen the stars? You can see them at our house at night without all the city lights. We have lived there 5 years and it still takes my breath away single time. Driving the back roads gives your mind time to wind down. The slow paced life where you enjoy a cold beer on your back deck on a spring day is the life for me.
I mean, I have a pretty good idea of some things I will never do. Like sky dive? Yeah, no. Hike one of the tallest mountains? Probably not. But you know, whose to say what I will be in to and what kind of priorities I will have in ten years, five years, next month. What are some things that you thought you would never do and were dead wrong about it?
23 Comments
It really is amazing how much your priorities change over a few years. I’ve always said that I could never see myself as a stay at home mom, but then again I don’t have a baby so I have no idea what it’s like to leave them in somebody else’s care. I hope that it’s not too rough on you when you have to be in the office full time!
I was the same way about skinny jeans!!! haha.
I always said I’d never run… & here I am with 8 half marathons under my belt. STILL dont know how that happened.
Haha I was but also still am the same about skinny jeans. Not for me! I tried though, I did. But, hips. Nope!
I love this! Isn’t it crazy how we change our minds on things. Right now I say I wouldn’t want to be a stay at home mom… but I have a feeling those thoughts will change once I have a child. You never know until you’re in the thick of things, do you?
I never thought I’d like running — or any sort of physical activity to be honest here, but here I am, running and loving my OTF. I never thought I’d want to be a SAHM, and while I like the money my job brings in, I would love to spend all day with my little dude.
So agree. It’s so funny that life always turns out differently than we think it will. I don’t live in a big city, but it’s no small town either… a huge suburb, I’d say. I’d LOVE to live in a small town though. I want to move soon, but right now it’s convenient where we are because it’s close to work and family (especially my mom who babysits!).
The only thing I know for sure is that everything changes.
I so agree with you!! Saying “never” in some cases just doesn’t work because you never know what life has in store for you!! I’m with you on skydiving as I’ve gotten older my tolerance for doing scary things has gone down LOL! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
Ain’t this the truth… 10 years ago I definitely did not see me turning into the girl I am now. It’s so funny. I’m SO happy with where live has taken me, but it was no predictable in the least. At least not 10 years ago!
I am so happy you got that time at home with Zoe and that you treasure it. I lived my never had I ever thought this weekend by meeting all those wonderful blogging friends. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would happen or think that I had the nerve to go through with it and it was of the best things I’ve ever done. The only thing that would make it better would be meeting you too!
Yes, skinny jeans were a “never” for me but now I love them. Love that you were able to work from home with her and you enjoyed it! Love this post idea! I’m staying at my first airbnb in Atlanta this August so I’ll kind of get to experience city life for a few days.
Love this Nadine! There’s a lot of things out there I said I would never do, but to be honest sometimes the very things we said we’d never do or try, turn out to be some of the best decisions ever. It’s good to be open to new things- so great reminder!
I really love this post. Now you have me wanting to give skinny jeans a chance though lol
Never say never definitely proves us wrong sometimes. as we grow and learn… I also live about 35 mins outside from downtown Orlando a as well as the touristy parks which is a nightmare of traffic. I will never go skydiving or anything crazy like that but some things like motherhood are worth adjusting to.
i’m the same – silver all day long but now i’m into gold. i always thought gold was for old ladies….so i guess that’s true? LOL
Love this post!! I’m with you on the skydiving…I just have no interest!! My life has definitely gone in a mostly different direction than I anticipated 10 or 15 years ago though!!
It’s amazing how our priorities and things we never thought we would do or like tend to change. I was the same way with my jewelry. Silver all the way, and now welll, gold and rose gold are just too pretty not to have. I’m surprised at how laid back of a mother I am, or at least that’s what people tell me. I don’t react when the kids fall unless they do, and I don’t follow my kids around and constantly tell them not do things etc. We let them be little, yet always guide and protect them where it’s needed. Beautifully Candid
Oh girl! We have so many of these in common! I too ONLY wore silver (or white gold) for all my teen years and college years. My engagement/wedding rings are platinum because I didn’t like yellow gold even 9 years ago when we got engaged. I don’t regret that at all because I still love them, but I have actually begun to embrace some gold jewelry over the past couple of years. And skinny jeans – oh man, I thought those were hideous when I first saw them. It took YEARS for me to even try a pair on (and I only did because I realize how much I liked boots and that skinny jeans worked so well with boots). Now skinny jeans are the one ones I own! Ha! And while I used to be a major city girl (growing up in a city of 8 million people), I’ve grown accustomed to life in Memphis (with only 1 million people and we live in a neighborhood with yards instead of downtown). I still love visiting big cities, but I’ve found that I actually prefer living in a smaller city now. Probably just because it’s what I’m used to after being here 9 years. 😉 Christopher is still trying to convince me to move out to the country (he grew up in the country), but I’m not sure that I’m quite ready to be that far from all the perks of city living. 😉 But like you said, never say never! Because who knows!
I feel like all the mom stuff is a surprise – I never would have thought I’d have trouble leaving the baby with someone else and now I’m super picky about who babysits. I never thought I’d want to be a stay-at-home mom and there was a month or two where it was starting to sound good (now I’m swinging the other way and starting to think about daycare – maybe at 1 year). I never would have thought I’d get so emotionally attached to breastfeeding, or that I’d actively seek out mom groups to join, and on and on.
Outside of kid stuff, I thought I’d never enjoy networking and I’m really starting to. Leggings as pants is starting to really tempt me despite my vehement anti-leggings-as-pants stance a couple years ago. Oh! And I was anti-Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, basically all social media until I started blogging and now I have them all.
well this is speaking to me this morning!! and it is SO true and reflective of my life right now–you have no idea.
This is such a beautiful post Nadine. It’s crazy how our dreams and loves can change. I never ever thought I would be a Stepmom but it’s my most favorite thing. Love your heart 🙂
I love this. It’s definitely so true. I never thought of how many times I would change my mind about any given thing. I never would have thought that I would be so content just with KC living our slow kind of life doing what we feel like. I figured I’d have several children by now and a career in mind. Every day I think of a new idea for the future (it feels like!). It’s funny how quickly everything can change. XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I’m late to respond/comment here, but I love this post! And I often say the phrase, “never say never!” when it comes to myself. Sometimes you think you know what you want, what your plans are, things you’d never do, etc. – and then prove yourself wrong. And I kind of love that! (Also, I’d never go skydiving either)