Welcome to my life!

Hello, dear friends (well, soon to be friends)! I've been staring at this blank screen for a bit now trying to figure out where to start. What should I say? How much sharing is too much? What would they want to know? Is anyone even going to read this??

*sigh*

That's my overthinking and insecurity at play again. Both things I'm sure we'll discuss as we embark on this journey together. 

So, maybe we'll start with a few questions. Why a podcast? And why now? 

It feels like everyone has a podcast -- maybe not everyone, but there are a lot of podcasts. And here's the thing, I enjoy talking. When I was growing up, I really wanted to be a reporter -- broadcast journalism was my dream (more on that in a future episode) {and if we're being really honest, being an actress on Broadway was *actually* my dream, but being a reporter seemed a bit more attainable,} {spoiler alert: neither happened.} Anyway, as I've gotten older, I've realized there are so many things I want to share with people. Things I've learned along the way (some from mistakes I've made); and as I've gone back to read journals from my younger days, I started to think that maybe I'm not the only one. Maybe there are things I think or experiences I have or things I wonder about that others do, too. And maybe they think they're all alone, but if I share my stories, maybe they won't feel alone and maybe they'll share their stories, too. And maybe we can build this whole community where even when we're alone, we don't feel lonely. {like Jack Kelly... if you get a "Newsies" reference, I know we're destined to be besties!}

Okay, so why now? Why not now? There's never going to be a "best" time for something. And the longer you wait for the "perfect" time to start something, you might actually miss your chance! And we grow from doing scary things -- and sometimes putting yourself out there in all the crazy messiness -- is the exact scary thing to get you to the next level. Or something. I don't know. I'm never going to claim to have all the answers or know everything {today I completely confused llamas and camels, so... please keep in mind, I am very flawed lol}.

And while we're on disclaimers, don't take me too seriously. Don't take medical advice from me, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a licensed therapist. I'm not technically an expert at anything. But armed with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts, a Master's degree in Leadership, a whole lot of opinions, and a theatrical streak, I think I can provide something of value to someone who wants to listen. 

Oh, and yes, I have a comms degree, and I love the English language {and I will fight for the Oxford comma every day of my life!}. However. This blog will always be written just as I'm saying it. And I am currently ignoring every line that Grammarly is making on this text -- you're getting all of me. As open and flawed and weird as I am. And maybe I'll use an em dash instead of a hyphen or a semi-colon where I should've used a comma {honestly, semi-colons do not get enough love}, but haven't we all done enough judging already? Let's just enjoy the ride.

So, welcome to my couch, friends. Let's grab a drink and get to know each other. 

Post title from: "Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan