The First Post I Never Published

So this was fun to find. I posted this a year ago on another platform with every intention of publishing but…never did. I want to be transparent here. At the time I wrote this, I was still in a fog. I lacked clarity, confidence, and direction. I still am working on all of those things but in the past year, something has shifted in me. I grew tired of complaining and never taking action. I grew tired of playing the same self-defeating narrative in my head of “I don’t have anything to say. I’m not experienced. There are already a ton of blogs out there.” These thoughts led me nowhere, literally. They just kept me stuck in this fog that I couldn’t see through. Finally, after numerous books, podcasts and various other means of self-improvement, I made a choice. I’m going to start doing instead of wondering. I’m going to stick with this and not give up for a change. See it through and see where it leads me. So here’s that first post from the old me. I like that it’s hopeful. I like that it gives you more insight into who I am. I wasn’t ready then. But I am now. Well, I’m getting there. And I’m so glad to finally be putting these words out there.

Hey! I'm Gabby. And I'm a blogger! Wow. It has taken me quite some time to get here, I must say. But before we get into all that, I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and have lived here all of my life. I'll admit I thought about moving a time or two (ie the winters are my sworn enemy. Sea and sun make me happy lol) but my family is super close and we now live within minutes of each another. I graduated from DePaul University in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in English. It's safe to say that I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduating. This is mostly due to the fact that my father is an entrepreneur and business owner, running a successful grocery store for over 20 years now. So after college I worked at the store for 7 years before having my first kiddo, Sami. Everything changed after that.

I was the kid who had no idea what they wanted to do. I knew what I liked, music, reading, writing, movies, food, and fitness. But I never had a clear direction as to which path I wanted to take in life. I was and still am a dreamer. And I love that about myself. I'm open to things and experiences and that has definitely helped shape my life, leading me to where I am today. How many people can say they've sung onstage at the Chicago Theatre? I did! It was a pretty amazing experience performing in a choir onstage and one I'll never forget. Now, being a dreamer does have some setbacks as well, one of them being, I'm extremely indecisive. It takes me forever to decide on something and even when I do I go back and forth as to whether it's truly the right one. So that's how I got here and why it has taken me so incredibly long to finally start this journey as a blogger. Should I do it? Will people like me? There are so many blogs out there, what makes mine any different? These questions have stopped me from pursuing it all these years later. I've known for so long that I wanted to start a blog but it still took me a very long time to actually pursue it. But I finally have! And I'm so excited for the possibilities that it could bring.

I'm hoping that this blog will spawn the creativity in me that I've put on the back burner for years now because let's face it, as busy moms we put our families first. The day to day sometimes leaves me feeling burnt out and lost. There have been plenty of days where I've asked myself, Is this it? Why is it so hard for me to get motivated? And that's why I've started this blog, in the hopes of finding connection with others and a chance to discover and explore my passions. If I can do this, anyone can. I would love to inspire someone in the process whether it be starting your own blog, business or just simply reaching out and making a connection. I know as a stay at home mom, myself, I've felt super isolated and I want you mamas out there to know that you're not alone! I hope you'll follow me on this journey as I test recipes, review my favorite children's books and fill you in on all of my fun finds from Amazon to grocery hauls! I hope you enjoy.