goals

Chelsea Noveau.

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Words cannot quite describe the chaos that was 2023. Like, literally – where do I begin? Let’s just say the year had me in the first half, due to my fitness routine. On top of my spin classes at Cyclebar, I started Club Pilates in January and spent time there nearly every day for Reformer Pilates. It was quite possibly the most fun I’ve had working out, and my body was loving it. I met the coolest, most inspirational instructor there who changed my life in one Reiki session (on top of her inspired Pilates instruction). Not a day goes by where I don’t mull over her motivational words and insight that I am my family’s generational curse-breaker. How freaking cool is that?

I left Florida at the end of July. I didn’t realize how much I thrived in Gainesville, with the easy access to my favorite workouts, health stores, health foods, and daily sunshine. I traded one ‘ville for another, moving back to Greenville to teach at my alma mater (a very unique and challenging opportunity!), and the transition of the move was seemingly endless. I was virtually homeless for two months, living out of a hotel room/mom’s house/temporary campus accommodations. Imagine trying to start a new job and having every other part of your life up in the air. Yeah, it’s terrible. When I finally found an apartment, it took a few full days of cleaning top to bottom to truly disinfect it from the previous tenants who left it in a heap, but we’ve made it quite clean, nice, and cozy now. Trying to move with the semester in full swing just wasn’t it, and I am so grateful for the two-car garage that allowed us to just unload our boxes and take things out as needed. Spoiler: the garage is still pretty dang full.

Some pretty excellent things did happen in the second half of 2023; I survived my first semester of teaching, sprinted through receiving my certification in Experiential Learning (which may as well have unlocked the secrets of the universe for me it was so influential), I completed my MBA and walked the stage at graduation, spent all the major holidays with my family without having to drive 13 hours to do so, and I celebrated my first year of marriage. I somehow did all of the things and managed to deep clean one third of our apartment before January 1st. That’s not too shabby.

So here I am at the start of a new year with a notebook full of plans, a head full of ideas, and a heart full of desires. I usually begin each year with some semblance of this, but this year feels very different than others, in that I am sick of the wheel. I am so tired of wanting to do things and never doing them. My soul is dying to be creative, and neglecting that desire just leads to complete dissatisfaction. Getting to my breaking point might just be the thing that causes me to take the actions I always talk myself out of, plus completing my degree means I get days of my life back each week that I can channel toward other projects. I have lots to hash out over the next few weeks in particular, but those are stories for other posts.

Here is to a year of transformation! Thanks for waiting with me.

chelseainwaiting

GNV FLA

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I think it’s the only Less Than Jake album I own. I remember being at Lake of the Ozarks with my mom the summer of 2008 for the first of her many annual education conferences; while she was stuck in meeting rooms during the day, I went shopping. Back then, the outdoor outlet mall was still packed with stores and the options were endless; I’d hit Claire’s, Rue21, and the bookstore before circling back to hit Maurice’s and Marshall’s. I was still in the process of amassing my CD collection in ’08, so I found myself perusing the selection at Walmart (as one did). I had never heard a LTJ song in my life, I just knew they were very popular amongst the people in high school who were cooler than me. I bought it on a whim, along with Weezer’s Red Album and Charlotte Sometimes (I don’t think I have EVER listened through that one completely) and was immediately taken. It’s not surprising, since I love pop punk and ska. It’s also not surprising that it was my first thought when my fiancé (!!!) told me he would be accepting a job in Gainesville. Things in life are cyclical and connected, so I like to think that little corner of my musical world foreshadowed this time of my life.

So YES – a LOT has happened in my life over the last month. As I prepared for a move halfway across the country (the furthest I’ve ever lived from home), my boyfriend proposed to me lakeside behind our Missouri home. It was a beautiful evening illuminated by a bright moon as full as my heart. So much change happened in quick succession as we made time to say goodbye to friends and my family before setting off in my Ford Escape that somehow towed thousands of pounds of a U-Haul trailer across the south without problems. I regret now not stopping to sleep in a hotel room- a few naps in the car were not enough to prevent me from falling asleep on the road 20 minutes away from our new apartment. Thankfully no one was hurt and woke up as soon as my tires hit the ridges. The sounds of an early-2000s Matt Theissen kept me awake the rest of the way. 🙂

What I’m incredibly grateful for is that we secured an apartment before moving here, because I can’t imagine not being able to roll up, walk in, sleep, and unload the way that we did. The original plan was to drive down and spend a few days either with a friend or in a hotel room to scout our options. We’d done some preliminary searching online to see what was available in our price range with the space we were looking for (3 bedrooms, mainly because I have so much STUFF), but we hadn’t finalized anything. After a few weeks, most of those places were full, so we were running out of options before we even arrived. It was two weeks prior to the end of our lease in Missouri when I happened upon the perfect place. We were sitting in a St. Louis Bread Co. about to have lunch with friends when I was lazily searching for 3 bedroom apartments and found a complex I’d never found in my searches before. It was an older build, but beautifully landscaped with the 24/7 gym and pool amenities we were looking for, a STUNNING outdoor gathering space with games and grills, and the finishes I preferred. Even better? FULLY FURNISHED. Didn’t have to worry about bringing beds, a kitchen table, any of the large, awkward furniture. We did a Facetime tour on the spot, and it ended up being not just a large topic of discussion at lunch, but my friends teamed together to put the pressure on my fiancé to agree to securing the place. Ultimately we decided the risk was worth taking, though we both would have preferred to see the place in person before making a commitment. It ended up being the best option – minutes away from UF, right across from the pool and gym, and located on the corner top floor for minimal noise from neighbors. It feels safe, private, and it’s beautiful to look out the window and see beautiful plants, ponds, and fountains.

Now that we’ve been here a few weeks, I’ve had time to recover from the sleep deprivation and the intensity I put my body through while moving. Things are 90% unpacked (small details like jewelry and decorative items are still boxed), and last night I put up most of my wall hangings. I have a beautiful vintage Iranian textile for the living room, but I’m hesitant to hang it without a frame (who knew 48×32 frames just didn’t exist?). Either way, it’s starting to look and feel like home. And I can already drive myself to Target, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s without using a GPS. I have big plans while I’m here in Florida – this is where I’m going to get my businesses going, start writing again, and focus on becoming the healthiest I can be (I’ve already lost 10 pounds since the move). Florida is going to kickstart my best life yet.

Thanks for waiting with me.

chelseainwaiting

Forward motion.

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Matthew Thiessen once wrote that he struggled with forward motion, and that spoke to my soul. Is that surprising for a self-proclaimed waiter of life? But here’s the thing: while I have, again, not been keeping up with this blog as originally intended, you know what I have been doing? LIVING.

Yes, I, Chelseainwaiting, have been… not waiting at all, actually. I’m saving the details for my book, but while the world has been falling apart, I’ve been getting my life together. Drastic changes have led to drastic results. For example, I went from accepted spinster to making a home with my boyfriend of almost a year, from hating my job to not only finding a new one, but launching my own business on the side (early stages, but I’ve filed the LLC!). It’s been a whirlwind, and I have a lot to unpack – figuratively and literally, I moved 1.5 months ago into a smaller space. The downsizing is real!

So here are my new goals.

First of all, WRITING. It’s my passion, it comes naturally, and I’m always happier doing it. This blog is a priority.
Personal growth via downsizing my stuff. I have waaay too much of everything – clothes, books, makeup, personal care – use it and lose it is the name of the game.
Professional growth – get a day job writing, get a side job writing. Launch YouTube channel(s). Write the book I told my doctor I would write.
Advance the fitness trek. Keep pushing in the gym, don’t get sidetracked by shiny, unhealthy-for-you things. Get to that healthy goal weight.
Financial independence. Know where your money is going and get it under control – be strict with self!

I’ve truly never had a more positive outlook. I usually build all these ideas in my mind, then fence myself in with my own fear. What if it all goes wrong? Having a strategic mind can be a blessing in the right context, but can be oh so devastating if allowed to roam free. I guess I’m finally sick of the insanity cycle, because I’m pivoting and leaping into action without thinking too much about a safety net.

Here’s to the risk takers – thanks for waiting with me.

chelseainwaiting