I have hyped up this new Hurley job, and I've never told you the outcome. Gees. I am such a slacker. Actually ... no, I'm just WAY busy!
So, I have decided to not accept the offer with Hurley. Was it an amazing job opportunity? Yes. Would I have been living the best lifestyle ever? Yes. Would I be working a dream job? Yes. Would I have probably met 12 pro surfer future husbands, absolutely.
I had such a short amount of time (3 weeks, to be exact) from when the job was offered, to when I would have to literally be in my apartment, totally moved in and actually starting work. It was a a tough situation, but I figured, if I'm supposed to be there, it'll work out. Everything worked out amazingly, UNTIL, I had to get a new car in order to work there, and I had to get an apartment down there, the two most vital things that I needed. I couldn't get a new car, it's just not happening right now, and every single email/phone call I made about apartments down there, went in the opposite direction than I had hoped it would go. I was only looking for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, not-so-amazing apartment, when all I was falling into was either "garden apartment", which, apparently, in Virginia Beach, means you own a piece of a garden, or something? (I'm still not totally sure), or a 2 bedroom apartment for way more than I was willing to spend. All I could do was pray about where God wanted me. Clearly, He does not want me in Virginia Beach.
Do I regret saying no? Kind of. But I am completely, 100% realizing all of the things that I would have been leaving behind if I did go. My family, the few friends that matter, my church, and all of the people in it, being close to my partner of my clothing line, being able to drive an hour and 10 minutes to get to Philly, an hour and a half to get to NY, or 10 minutes to my favorite beach, my favorite places to shop, the little farm market where I get all of my veggies and fruits for dirt cheap, my neighbors dog - who I'm secretly obsessed with, the fact that I can see any family member within a bike ride's distance, MY DOG (I literally cried every single time I thought about leaving him), having mom turn my coffee pot off when I forgot to on my way out for work, bumping into all of the people that I grew to know that work at the stores I visit way too often, all of the little local spots that you just can't get anywhere else. There's SO MUCH that I'd miss. And being an adult, the most surprising thing was that the things at the top of my list that kept me here, were family, my dog, my partner of my clothing line, and the silliest of things.
They say you don't realize what you've got until it's gone. Here, that's not the case. I was about to let go of everything that I've got, until I realized that it's all I've got. Yea, maybe I don't belong in Jackson, NJ, maybe I'd fit in a little better in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Maybe I won't live here for the rest of my life, but to give up everything I've got now, for a future that nobody knows what holds, would just be plain silly. I would rather wait a little longer on the future, than have to pick of the pieces of what I've lost.
I'm happy to still be in NJ.....even though I'd be packing right now to leave for California to work the US Open of Pro Surfing. ::I will not kick myself::
The lesson learned? Appreciate everything that you have, because everything can be taken away, or changed in the blink of an eye.
