Active Rain was my first blogging home back in 2006.  I honed my skills with the help and support of some great mentors, both directly and indirectly, and I gained enough confidence to start an outside blog in 2007 followed by a some paid blogging in 2008.  Many thanks to the "pioneers" who showed me the way: Rich Jacobson, Broker Bryant, Amber Riviere, Kristal Kraft, among others. 

My business has always been about helping solo entrepreneurs set up systems for success, whether that means learning to process your tasks in batches or writing up a plan for your virtual assistant to do it for you.  Whatever the task, if it doesn't take your unique skills, it should be automated or delegated.

Fast forward a few years and I'm thinking about how my own "unique skills" are being used.  All those times I told clients to think of the highest and best use of their time and brain power, and here I am knee deep in a life that doesn't fit where I want to be.  Couple that with the financial mess and severe illnesses in 2 people very close to me and you'll see why I came to this conclusion:  Life is short.

So I'm doing something about it.  What I'm good at is designing systems to make life easier, but in order to do that you have to have a vision.  My vision is to travel around the world, living with just a backpack and a laptop, and writing about all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things I see.  And of course I will do this all with my trusty sidekick, Warren.

If you would like to reconnect or join in the conversation as I downsize all my possessions, budget my way to a life on the road, and learn to simplify, please do.  And hey, maybe one of you can sell my house for me next year.

You may not want to travel around the world, but I'll bet you have a goal that requires time, money, and relationships, and those are the things we talk about every week at Married with Luggage.

In closing, Thanks, Active Rain.  If it weren't for discovering you and blogging, I don't think I'd be on this path right now. I hope you'll stay in touch.