Hi friends! Life has been SO busy lately and I don’t have the chance to write posts as often as I’d like! In today’s post I’m sharing a little life update based on questions I received on IG!

Teaching 

I feel like some of you may not know, but I’m a teacher! I started my first teaching job last year as a middle school teacher and switched to the high school in our district this year. I’m a business teacher and throughout the year I teach Social Media Marketing, Personal Finance, Business Law, Computer Skills 101, a college level Microsoft Certification course, and also co-teach a class for a student run business. My days are jam packed to say the least. I truly love what I do and really value all of the experiences we are able to provide for our students. Our school has an Academy of Business and Finance and really does a great job of setting our students up for success. This is definitely a chaotic time of year as students start getting antsy for summer break, but we’re right around the corner and wrapping up so many fun projects. 

A lot of times people ask about how I balance things between blogging, teaching, etc. and to be honest there are some days where I do it all and others where I feel like I’m slacking. For instance, I’d LOVE to publish new blog posts at least once a week but sometimes it just falls to the side in lieu of everything else going on. Sometimes I struggle watching people posting so often and feeling like I’m not doing enough, but then I remember that I’m so blessed to have all of you here and supporting me when I do post so thank you! 

Long Distance Dating 

JAX MOVED TO NYC! I am so excited for him and this new chapter! This has been something he’s been thinking about for a long time and I’m so proud of him for taking the leap. His new job is a perfect fit and I know he’ll do amazing things. Even though we were already ‘long distance’ (only 1.5 hour), we’ll be adding a few more hours to that so it’ll definitely be an adjustment! Luckily he’s moving at the perfect time so I’ll be able to spend a lot of time with him in the city while I’m on my summer break. A lot of people have been asking and no, I am not moving to the city full time with Jax because I still have my teaching job, but I will be there very often. I’ll probably move there for a month or so this summer and it’s only a quick 45 minute flight from Buffalo so I will be back and forth often! While we’re on the topic of long distance, 90% of my dating life has been long distance so here are a few of my tips for making it work.

• Always have a plan for the next time you will see each other so you have something to look forward to, and if you can mix in a few surprise visits that’s always fun too!
• Make time for each other every day in some way, even if it’s a quick morning phone call, an evening FaceTime, or sending a little something throughout the day. Another part of this is always being able to communicate how you are feeling and make sure the relationship feels like a priority. Having good communication is probably the most important part of long distance in my opinion.
• Share a Google Calendar (a must!). Jax and I both keep track of our day to day using gcal and it’s so nice to be able to see what each other are up to. It’s helped us be more thoughtful about busy days, big events, and occasions that we want to plan around.
• Maintaining our independence has also been something I’ve found helpful with long distance. It’s nice that we have a lot going on in our own worlds so it doesn’t make it as hard when we’re not together. We of course support one another and are a huge part on each others lives, but still have a lot going on independently.

House Updates

For those of you that follow me on Instagram (@belleoftheball45) you may know that I am in the process of building a house! My dad owned a construction business and was helping me build before he passed. After he passed away last February I took over managing the project and it has been a challenge to say the least. I have learned a lot along the way and even though it’s taking longer than expected I am so proud of how its turning out. I haven’t shared a ton of updates with you all but it is SO close to being wrapped up. Right now I’ve been working through some of the not so pretty things for the house and can’t wait for it all to come together. I’m so thankful to a variety of friends and family who have been helping on the project and can’t wait to decorate soon. There have been so many surprises along the way, but it has been so fun to learn new things and challenge myself in new ways. Sharing a few update photos of the house below and will share a lot more soon!

Stay tuned on my social pages to see more updates!

        

Summer Plans

This school year has flown by and I can’t believe summer is almost here! Summer is always a busy time of year and I’m excited to have a little time off from teaching to focus on spending time with friends / family, the blog, and traveling. Since Jax is moving to NYC I will likely spend a good bit of the summer there and squeeze in a few other short trips.  I’m also wrapping up my Masters Degree in Business and Marketing education this summer so I will be busy with school work for that as well. I’m writing a curriculum guide for my Masters and am excited to work on the project! Luckily all of my classes for my Masters will be remote so I can still travel! 

Grief A Year Later 

It’s been over a year now since I’ve lost my dad and honestly I’ve been having a very hard time. I always want to keep my presence online happy and positive, but losing my dad has been that hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. I feel like overall I’ve been doing pretty well with things and have such a wonderful support system but there also times where I feel so sad and lost. My dad was such a guiding presence in my life and I wish on a daily basis that he was here to talk to. Grief is a strange thing because one day you’re doing great and then another I’m really struggling but still have to carry on. I know everything on social media can often seem perfect, but just a little reminder that most people have a lot they are not sharing so never be too hard on yourself!

Thank you all for reading and being here!