Making Lemonade

At the end of January, I found myself in a very uncomfortable position. I was one of 49 laid off from my interior design job at a large commercial firm, due to poor economic conditions. It hit hard at first, was very humbling, and I went though a range of emotions......but soon realized this was my chance to reevaluate, reprioritize, and to freshen things up a bit or A LOT! I was determined to make the most thirst quenching, satisfying, lemonade out of the lemons that were handed to me.

Almost immediately, I decided I didn't want to pursue another interior design job right away, there simply were no solid jobs to be had in my field at the time. Also, I had been craving travel and adventure. It was unsettling not knowing how I would make some income but soon was involved in a residential design project for a friend, babysitting, dog sitting, house sitting...and just sitting from being tired of all the sitting.

Jewelry making had been a hobby of mine for years but I started thinking through ideas on how to make it more lucrative. So, I started a little shop on Etsy: www.southernlemonade.etsy.com. I've mostly sold pieces through jewelry parties and through commisions with friends and family thus far but plan on doing a bit of marketing to help the Etsy shop take off.
All the while I was pursuing what I was most eager and passionate about doing until economic conditions improved: become an Au Pair in Europe. After just a few weeks of searching for the family that seemed like the right fit....I found a great match in Milan! Not only would I be doing something I enjoy...watching two vivacious little munchkins....but I'd be in a position to travel most weekends and explore other cities and countries. There were tons of details to work out but everything started falling in to place.

Flights to Milan are less expensive out of New York. Which was perfect because one of my best friends from college has lived in Brooklyn for several months and I hadn't had a chance to visit her. It was a nice, low key few days. I had the best Hazelnut Americano at Gimme, where a guy in a giant bacon strip costume was in line to get some java too....how bizarre! We checked out P.S.1, a contemporary museum and spent an evening in Williamsburg (a neighborhood of Brooklyn) where we ate at The Diner, an adorable (quaint little restaurant that inhabits an old diner car from a train) purused a new and used bookstore, and listened to some aspiring artists at a pub. It was an awesome visit.

Then it was time to embark on the 11 hour flight to Milan. I sat next to a Swedish girl who was finishing up her masters in Architecture. She had been interning in Manhattan for 6 months and was on her way home to Copenhagen. Our flight was delayed on the runway so I almost missed the connection in Copenhagen. But as I ran through the airport (with my obnoxious amount of carry on luggage) I noticed how well it was designed....sleek wood floors, modern furnishings, white sculptured light fixtures....It was obvious I was in Europe! I was the last one to get on board, immediately we took off. Only two hours until I land in Milan!