Hi friends. It’s been a while. I haven’t felt terribly inspired lately, though a few pieces of news are long overdue.
Firstly, I started a new job. I’ve left the freelance world to once again join the ranks of full-time office employment. My new employer is World Publications, which publishes 20 or so magazines primarily out of Winter Park. My title is “copy editor,” which is a fairly one-dimensional position. My assignment is simply to copy edit files (check for grammar, style, accuracy, etc.) that come across my desk. Once I’ve copy edited all the files that have been sent to me, my work is complete, and I just have to sit and wait for the next thing to come.
Copy editing is what I’ve been doing from home for the last year and a half, and it was also a big part of my job while I was working at Relevant, so I’ve gotten pretty stinkin’ good at it. I’m pretty content to do it, too, though sometimes I long for a more multifaceted job that would utilize more of my skills, such as organization, communication, brainstorming ideas, and writing.
This place is very laid-back; I’m not micromanaged; and I’m not overloaded with a stressful and unrealistic amount of work. Pretty much all of my cubicle neighbors are sport fishermen; two of the magazines I work on are Sport Fishing and Marlin. I also copy edit Destination Weddings & Honeymoons and Florida Travel & Life.
I do miss the freedom of freelancing, but you really can’t beat a steady paycheck, and it’s nice to be back in the professional world. I guess I feel more legit, even though I had a pretty decent business going at home. I enjoy being around people again, too.
Shortly after starting at World Pub, Philip and I celebrated one year of marriage. We spent a week in Clearwater Beach, and the pictures are up on our Flickr page. We had a great time exploring state park beaches, reading, snorkeling with our new gear (yay!), and finding as many wild creatures as possible. I really can’t think of anything I enjoy more than traveling, especially with my husband … adventure and relaxation and escape from daily drama and responsibility – it’s the absolute best.
Tonight we leave for Detroit to visit Philip’s friends Mike and Ben. Philip told me this is what he wanted for his birthday. I’m really excited to leave the state for a few days and bask in the love and hospitality of good friends. Dianna comes to visit us in a couple weeks; I’m so glad – she’s one of my favorite people in the world.
Other than that, it’s basically just daily life. We do a lot of stuff with our church; we listen to NPR in the morning; we share meals with friends; we watch movies that come in the mail through Netflix (the greatest service ever invented). We navigate family issues and insecurities and tiredness. We think about the future. I try to find time to scrapbook; Philip gets online to check on his Fantasy Football team. We go to weddings and birthday get-togethers and going-away parties; we grocery shop and do laundry and drink dollar margaritas at Amigo’s. And in my mind I’m always analyzing all of it, feeling very much content and longing for so much more at the same time.