Hello, my lovely foot freaks. It’s been a hot minute! I had a client recently ask why I haven’t added anything to my blog of late, and the answer really is, simply, that I didn’t feel like I had much to say for a while. Then it got to the point where, if I did have anything to say, I didn’t have the time and/or wherewithal to get around to it.
There’s a lot going on at the moment. Unfortunately, the catalyst for it all is the fact that I have found myself in the process of getting divorced. This sucks, obviously. I’m exhausted from the mental, physical, and emotional labor of sorting through 15 years’ worth of stuff, weeding out my things, packing them up, and finding a new place to live, among other things. The to-do list is as long as my legs, and there are definitely days where I would rather just curl up in a hole and wait for it to be over. However, I’d be lying if I said it was all bad.
I am genuinely excited to be given the opportunity for a re-set, and I’m using it to move to Seattle. Tacoma will always have my heart, but I’ve lived there the whole time I’ve been married, and I need a fresh start. Fortunately for many of you, this also means that I will now have an incall space in Seattle from which to host my sessions! (And if you’re closer to Tacoma, fear not– the lease on my studio there isn’t up until July, so you still have several months to get your fix before you’ll have to spend a bit more time on the road. In all honesty, that space has become less and less conducive to my purposes of late, anyway, with my studio partner putting more focus on her tattooing business, so it’s for the best.) For the moment, I have not yet found a permanent home for myself, so I will be working out of a friend’s Airbnb space in Greenlake. Hopefully that will change sooner than later, because it’ll mean that I’ve found a suitable and affordable place to live in Seattle.
Anyone who has looked for an apartment in Seattle knows that it is no picnic, and it certainly isn’t easy on the pocketbook. I think the thing that I have been the most terrified about is the financial aspect of the divorce. I love my job SO much. It is both fulfilling and rewarding, and I would be heartbroken if I had to go back to some career that made me hate my life again like I did when I was teaching. I am praying to god and the universe that I will be able to cover my bills (at least somewhat) comfortably doing exactly what I’ve been doing. I’ve talked before about how I’ve been lucky enough to able to come to this work from a very privileged place of not having to rely solely on my own income to pay the bills, and I am most definitely scared about losing that position.
However, I have to say that, as hard and shitty and scary as this whole situation has been, it’s also had no shortage of bright spots. I think divorce really shows you who your friends are, for one thing, and who cares about you. It’s showed me how blessed I am to have some really wonderful clients, too. I’ve been both surprised and touched by how many of my regulars have taken pains to express how important I am in their lives, and much richness my work adds for them in having an outlet to be able to be themselves and feel supported. Many have showed real concern for me to be “getting what’s mine” from the settlement, and further who have assured me that, if I ever find myself in a financial bind, I shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to them for assistance. Of course it is my hope that it never comes to that (I would much rather take anyone’s business over their charity!), but it does ease the mind a bit knowing that people are in your corner, ya know?
Anyway, I guess I’m saying that, despite the less-than-great circumstances, I’m more grateful than ever for my work, and for my wonderful, thoughtful, generous clients. Y’all are truly some good humans, and I count myself a lucky gal. Here’s hoping for many more years of foot-related fun and exploration, soon to be in a shiny new location!