when and now

This year will go down as a year of change for me … big change, and lots of it. Generally speaking, it has all been change for the good. Better yet, change for the great. My life has flipped, turned, spun and is teetering back and forth right now about to settle down. At least I think so.

First, I started the year off engaged and in the midst of wedding planning. That was a whirlwind in itself. Nothing more had to happen and I would have had a busy enough of a year. Our friends bought a house last year and it got Chris and me thinking. Is that something we could do or even afford? It seemed so far out of reach but the question kept arising, “Why would we continue paying rent when we could start investing in a home?” So, we went to the bank and sat down with a mortgage broker. Is this possible, we asked. Apparently it was. So, we began spending all of our (not so) free time looking online and going out with our real estate agent to find our future home. After some twists and turns, we found one we loved and we moved in on March 8.

Now on top of planning our wedding, we were also learning how to be homeowners. There is always something to do and something “we need to buy”. That didn’t go great with paying for a majority of our wedding either. To make all of our expenses and our new mortgage easier to handle, Chris and I joined bank accounts. Even though it wasn’t a major change, it was a change nonetheless, and one we continue to work together on every day.

Finally August rolled around and we tied the knot. On August 13, I became Mrs. Meredith McCombs. It was a perfect rainy day. The celebration was filled with love, family and friends, dancing, alcohol, more dancing and more alcohol. It was a Brown/McCombs wedding – we didn’t expect any less.

When we thought we could finally breathe, I was contacted by a recruiter regarding a job opportunity a couple months following our wedding. With some investigation I became extremely interested in the position and what the company had to offer. After a couple phone interviews, a Skype conversation and an extensive in-person interview, I was offered the job as the product manager. Without hesitation, I accepted. Not only was I switching companies, but I was also venturing into a position that was new to me. It’s an exciting move that will bring many rewarding experiences.

As you can see, 2011 will be one to remember. A year in the books, as they say. Many people are reluctant when it comes to change but I think it helps you develop as a person. It’s the detours in life that give you the experiences to pull from to make you a better person. Kind of like my blog name - I’m thankful for my “when” because it makes for a better “now”. This year, not only did I grow in my personal life, but I am confident that I became a stronger professional in my career and a better wife, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. I feel blessed to be surrounded by the people I am who undoubtedly helped me through this rollercoaster of a year.