3…2…1…Jump!

Have you ever been in a conversation and someone asks ‘what are your hobbies, or what’s your passion in life?’ I was recently in one of the those conversations and the question caught me off guard and I stumbled for an answer.  The reason I stumbled was because I didn’t know if my answer was socially acceptable.  Could I truly answer the questions without being embarrassed?  And then I thought  why would I be embarrassed of my answer?  It’s my hobby, other people don’t have to like it, I just have to.  Terrified of giving my true answer I politely answered and said traveling and turned the question back to them.   What I really wanted to tell them, my honest answer, would have been that my hobbies include reading my favorite blogs, scouting out recent fashion finds, making my house a home and pondering my life timeline.

That conversation got me thinking, were those truly my hobbies?  Shouldn’t there be something with more substance, like volunteering for a wonderful cause? Shouldn’t I have a deep passion for some great cause to save the world?  After a couple days and soul searching on motivational blogs (because that’s what I do) I realized that life and my experiences are my passion and there is nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s actually very interesting.  A hobby is defined as something that one does regularly in their leisure time for pleasure, and that’s exactly what I do.  I regularly scour the web following my favorite blogs covering all different topics, from travel to career.  I take a little from each blog and incorporate it into my life.  Whatever the topic, I’ll read it and incorporate it into my life.  And if my favorite blogger has linked an outfit that I like, well that outfit is most likely showing up at my doorstep in a few days.  While I found redeeming qualities in all these blogs I did feel that no one blogger was my exact match.  But don’t get me wrong, no one blogger is going to be an exact match, but it got me thinking, what was I missing or better said what differentiated all these bloggers?  And then it hit me that all them have a different life timeline then me.  Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but I felt there must be other women out there who have the same thoughts, regardless of their life timeline.

At this point I’m sure you are wondering what is a life timeline?  Well a life timeline is your own personal roadmap to living your life.  This roadmap is tailored to you and goes at any speed you choose, this map has your greatest accomplishments as well as your biggest defeats.  Your life timeline is unique to you, just like your fingerprint.  Your friends may have a similar life timeline to you or they may have a drastically different one.  Your life timeline shapes the person you are and the experiences you have.  In some cases your life timeline doesn’t follow the conventional life timeline that society has defined.  You know the one, where all of life’s accomplishments are pre-defined at a certain age.  Married in your twenties, two kids by your early thirties, a dog, two cars and a home with a white picket fence.  While that may be the life timeline for some, it’s not for all and it definitely isn’t mine.  

Take a look at my life timeline, I bought my first condo in downtown Chicago when I was 25, as a single woman.  I worked two jobs, seven days a week to save for and afford my condo, which I loved with all my heart.  I got married later in life when I was 35, which was about 8 years after all my best friends.  I worked hard and landed a wonderful job, later in life than most people too, and got my first real promotion at 36.  I have no children, no pets and I’ve decided to launch a blog (my first ever) and I’m pushing my late thirties.  My life is drastically different then all of my friends (and most of society), but that doesn’t bother me, it’s perfect for me, I love my life timeline because I define it, I control it and I embrace it. Was it hard moving at a different speed than the rest of my friends, of course, but did I let that drag me down, NO!  Through all the ups and downs in life I realized that I only I can make myself truly happy, only I hold the key to my success in life and I only I can create my life timeline.  

So what differentiates this from all the other blogs you read and what can you expect from me?  This blog is from my perspective, the perspective of a girl that didn’t take the conventional life timeline that most take, a girl that took her time and wasn’t rushed into anything, a girl that is a perpetual late bloomer and has learned to embrace it.  A girl that sometimes felt as if her life was standing still while everyone else is out living theirs and vice versa.  Everyone has a path in life, some take the road less traveled, while others take the road that is well traveled at their own pace.  I’ve done the later and I’ve created my happily, ever, after, at my own pace, it’s my Later, Ever, After.

Through this blog I will bring you fresh content, two times a week on topics related to my experiences in travel, fashion, career, home and lifestyle.  I’m not in this alone, I have you to come along for the ride and to hear your perspective and experiences too. I encourage you to reach out, tell me what you’re thinking, what you’d like to see or read, all questions and comments (good or bad) are welcomed.  You can contact me latereverafter@gmail.com at anytime. In the end I write this blog for you, the girl who moves at her own pace and defines her own life timeline.