Today’s Daily Photo Challenge is “Selfie + 5 Facts” so I thought it would be fun to share mine on here. If you haven’t done yours yet, try it out when you have a free couple of minutes… it’s the perfect introduction to the community and a great opportunity to learn more about each other #LGTeamKini
SELFIE + 5 FACTS
1. I DESIRE A SIMPLE LIFE (EVEN MORE AS I GET OLDER!)
My grandpa told my dad when he was a boy and my dad repeated to me when I was younger: “a simple life is a good life.” It never made sense back then, but boy does it now. It’s so easy to get caught up in having more and doing more; I’ve certainly found myself in that position before. I’ve been told many, many times by people I work with “if you lived in LA or NYC, you’d have so many more opportunities to do X, Y and Z.” It’s easy for me (and so many of us!) to feel like I have to jump at the chance to “be better” but I always remind myself that I am my best when I am my happiest.
Well, I am the happiest when my day includes: drinking my tea and eating breakfast on my patio, working and creating from my home office, working out or doing something active, cooking dinner with my husband, hanging with my friends/family, watching my favorite show, watching the sunset and getting a peaceful night of sleep. I value family and close friends. I prioritize a healthy relationship and marriage. I feel like I was made to be a mom. I love being home. A mini adventure in my town excites me just as much as a grand vacation. I’ve learned it’s the little things in life. Less things = less stress. I guess my grandpa, the farmer, really knew best… a simple life is a damn good life!
When I was in high school, I was set on becoming an attorney. Thank you, Olivia Benson for introducing me to the world of law and order. Speaking of Law and Order, I’ve watched every episode of SVU multiple times. My husband and I binged watched the entire series the summer we got married (after 9 years of dating, I had to make sure he was “the one” with that final test lol) .
I have an undergraduate degree in Biology. As a pre-med student, I was interested in everything health and medicine. Clearly, I didn’t go into either of those fields, so now, I live vicariously through TV shows, documentaries, real life crime stories and my friends’ careers. I get weirdly into cases like Casey Anthony and Jody Arias… weird like I watched the court cases on TV haha. And I’m that gross friend who is like “tell me more” when my nurse friends talk about their jobs.
3. IF YOU MEET ME FOR THE FIST TIME, YOU’D THINK I’M QUIET BUT MY FRIENDS WOULD NEVER DESCRIBE ME THAT WAY
I’ve heard the term “outgoing introvert” and it certainly that applies to me. I love people and meeting new faces but I definitely know how to be my own best friend and enjoy time alone. All of that seems to translate into me being a bit quiet and reserved when I first meet someone. Yet, ask anyone who knows me and they’d label me talkative over quiet. It’s just funny because I’ll hear someone say “when I first met you, you were so shy” and then a friend will be like, “wait, Lauren was shy?” hehe. I guess that’s just me!
4. I’M A REALITY TV JUNKIE
The shows I watch are borderline embarrassing. The Real Housewives, Teen Mom, and the occasional Kardashians just to name a few. I’ve literally been embarrassed pulling up my television recordings in front of people. I won’t even attempt to make an excuse for why I like reality shows but again, that’s just me haha. Any other junkies out there?!
5. I HIRED MY HUSBAND
So, one of the most common questions I get is “what does Anthony do?!” It’s one I am so proud to answer. A little background… My friends and I started working out and eating healthier together in college. When we split up for the summer, I was in charge of texting out our daily workout. One day, I literally googled: “how to start a blog.” I posted my daily workout on there and used that to send to my friends. I also thought it would be a good way to hold myself accountable to workout daily. Well, go figure… anyone can find you on the internet and that’s how my blog grew to reach others.
Anthony and I went to college together in Wisconsin. When we graduated, he was hired by a supplement company for a job in Texas and I moved down here to go to dental school.
Fast forward two years and I was a week away from beginning dental school. I had this pit in my stomach, which had been there for months. I worked my butt off to get into dental school. My greatest accomplishment up until then was graduating summa cum laude and landing a coveted spot in a DDS program. I dedicated my life to this. Yet, I didn’t really want to go to dental school. I didn’t tell anyone and even tried to kick those thoughts. One day, I worked up the courage to tell my then boyfriend/now husband; I plead my case about how I could expand LaurenGleisberg and he literally said “F-it, let’s do it, babe!”
Now, I’m not at all a risk taker. That’s probably how I ended up in the position I was in. I took every “safe” move I could make. I went to the college I felt most comfortable at.. the I knew the most people who went there. I picked a job with a set career path, with a good amount of job security and one that would yield me a comfortable income. Can you tell I lived in my comfort zone?! Going for my dreams was so out of my realm and I was scared to death that I would regret my decision.
Well, half a year later, I needed help some running the business/not fun side of LaurenGleisberg.com. At that time, my husband was working a corporate job that he was sick of. It was by no means what he wanted to do his entire life. To make it more difficult, he had to work 50% in Dallas and 50% in Houston. We were spending a lot of time apart and both living in a new city without many friends, it was very lonely. The quality of our lives, especially his was so poor.
So, instead of hiring some random person to help me, I decided to hire him! I can’t tell you how many people made comments like: “I don’t think this is a good long-term decision” and “it’s so risky that neither of you have a “real” job.” I can’t believe me… Mrs. I’ll Make the Safe Decision Over the One I Want did this. It turned out to be the best thing for us and this blog. Anthony makes things happen behind the scenes. There’s so much that goes into this that is unseen and he does a phenomenal job at it.
^sorry that was insanely long, but I just figured I would pour my heart out on this topic because I found so much fulfillment from “going for it” and that’s one of my top goals to help you girls with too. Plus, we all know what it’s like to be in a position that you’re really not enjoying yet you don’t know how to get to a place where you
Thanks for telling your story! I can really relate and it’s reassuring that everything can work out 🙂