11 4 15 | HEY STRANGER

So, real talk.  It's been a year and a half since I've been on this thing. I just didn't feel like it. 

Now I do. And this time I'm a different person. Amanda 2.0. Over time and many self-centric blog posts, you'll see. But this time I'm going to write down some of my thoughts. Not because they're earth shattering. Well some are. Huge wink. Sort of. But because I think everyone should have a healthy dosage of weird, irrational, funny, good thoughts now and then. 

A quick update. After living and loving San Francisco for two years, Tomcat and I moved to Boston, MA. We road tripped across the US, and it was amazing. Here is a video of the trip (I've been experimenting making videos lately). He is now attending Harvard Business School, and I am still trying to figure things out. We like it here - the fall weather has been unbelievable!!!  

Oh and over the past year, I went from long brown hair - to my belly button long - to short dark hair, to blonde short hair, and now back to short and even darker hair. To say I like to express myself through my hair would be a gross understatement. It was all in the movement I felt over the last couple years to become brave and edgy. As brave and edgy as a girl from Southern California can be - I'll chop my hair, and then die it three times :)

While in San Francisco, I decided to transition from working as an administrative assistant and begin a n.b.d. change of becoming an interior designer. Natural right? AHA. I am so grateful for my boss, and team for being so supportive as I started working less and taking classes at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I did this for two semesters, and then opened my own business and started freelancing. Here is a link to my website if you're curious: www.amandasmithstudios.com.

After opening my business for a few months in SF, we moved here to Boston. And starting over has proven to be pitifully difficult for me. All this talk I've done over the last two years of learning how to be brave (my life's dream), has really been thrown out the window I am ashamed to say. Haha. I've been telling myself it's okay to take it slow. Because it is, there's a lot going on and I want to be a supportive wife and hopefully mother someday so I'm working on things. But in all honesty, I haven't been pushing myself a ton because I've been a little scared about it. It's hard to start over, move to a new place, and put yourself out there again - it's easy to become a hermit.

Anyways, here I am and every day I'm making my to do list and I am determined to get back into things. You are brave is my mantra! I think it's mostly important to think about why you're doing things. And for me, in order to become self motivated. I have to think beyond the laziness, boredom, fearful, doubtful, un-motivating thoughts and say to Amanda - what do I want - write it down - and then go for it. Because nothing and no one person is going to make you do anything except yourself. Internal motivation is essential to life's happiness. 

Life is beautiful and I am grateful for the experiences I have that are teaching me to be a better person, build character and better future mom. Sometimes I am super confident and sometimes I'm not - but all the time I am Amanda, a daughter of God and Tommy's wife - and that's a great place to start. 

Did I say quick update? 

FROM NYC

TO SF (taken at home in Southern, CA) Wanted to include for the dramatic affect of the next photo. 

BIG SUR, CA

BOSTON, MA