At the start of 2024, I found myself in an unexpected place: working retail at WallyWorld. I started in the garden center—plant whisperer by day—and had just been promoted to team lead in Online Pickup & Delivery. Not exactly the career pivot I imagined, but when life says, “Hey, bills,” you say, “OK, fine.”
It wasn’t that I gave up on coaching or writing—I was just squeezing those in around the edges. Coaching sessions here, scribbled ideas there, with a deep desire to hold on to the fun stuff without dropping the responsibilities. I even wound down the Sidetracked Legacies podcast, after reshaping it more than once and never quite hitting the sweet spot that made it grow. Sometimes you have to pause something good to make room for what’s necessary.
I still live in my same home just outside of Beaver Dam, where I walk dogs religiously, wage war on garden weeds (seasonally), and read books that make me think. I daydream about projects constantly. Some get done. Most get journaled.
🥤 2024 Food Report:
- Breakfast: Energy drink—because retail mornings start early.
- Lunch: Whatever I packed, bought on impulse, or last night’s leftovers.
- Dinner: We’re still loyal to the wood pellet grill—Craig smokes, I supervise with a drinky-drink.
Right now, life feels like it’s in a holding pattern. I’m doing what needs to be done. There’s not a lot of sparkle or glamour in this season—but there’s strength in it. Grit. And the quiet kind of hope that knows things will shift again. I’m trusting that the ideas will still be there when I have the time and space to bring them to life.
Sidetracked Sisters is a place where 4 different personalities get together to laugh, joke, poke-fun, and solve the problems of the universe. I think I should have added something politically correct about celebrating family, honoring traditions, blah, blah, blah….but that is really not our style. So come along for the ride. Roll your eyes and stick out your tongue. See what craziness we cook up!
