New Start. New Career. New Mexico.

If you’ve ever received an email from me, you’ve seen my favorite quote at the bottom:

“You’ll never reach new oceans if you’re afraid to lose sight of the shore.”

While I’m pretty scared of the ocean and all the things in it, I do love that quote and all that it represents.  To me, it means that I should always keep my eyes and heart open, trust my gut, and not be afraid to take a leap of faith.

Easier said than done. In my 20s, I did it all and have the photos, journals, passport stamps, and memories to prove it. My heart is forever touched by all the wonderful moments as well as enormous challenges that I encountered, and the tough times were usually overshadowed by the “new oceans” I discovered in the end.  No regrets.

Even in triathlon (hell, ESPECIALLY in triathlon) I feel I need to take that “leap of faith” every time I step up to the starting line.  Challenge myself.  Push beyond previous barriers.  And trust that I will make it.

But making big moves gets tougher as we get older.  Ever noticed how little kids don’t think twice before attempting a wheelie or jumping off the high dive?   Why did I freeze up?  This was not an easy decision at ALL, but it’s a wonderful opportunity and I KNOW, I trust, that this is the right decision.  It WILL be because I will MAKE it.

I have accepted a position as an Account Manager with AmeriPath, managing all of New Mexico and El Paso, TX (isn’t Ciudad Juarez the kidnapping capital of the world?!) and based out of Albuquerque.  I wasn’t looking for a change or a big move, but a former manager called me when he got in with this company, and encouraged me to join. The more I learned, the more I realized that it’s a fantastic opportunity.  I’ll be selling anatomic pathology services (think tissue and genes and a lot of cancer diagnostics) and developing an expansion territory.

My first big objective in my new job is to learn how to spell the city that I’ll be living in.  The second is to learn how to say anatomic pathology in Spanish.  I am up for the challenge!

Moving back to the Southwest is a dream.  Big skies, beautiful sunsets, the mountains, the (high) desert, the active lifestyle . . . and so much closer to my mom and my sisters (PHX and LA).  I never considered myself an Atlanta girl but there was one thing that made this decision so very difficult: my coach and my involvement in The Sport Factory over the past 4+ years.  I am pretty certain that I would not have been this happy living in Atlanta had it not been for Matt Russ and his incredible coaching, friendship, and ass-kicking on a daily basis.  We have grown an incredible team of athletes of all levels from the ground up and have established The Sport Factory a premier coaching and training resource in the country.  It is EXCITING to be a part of something like that, to influence it, to motivate it, and to BE motivated by it.  I am so proud to be a part of this organization . . . and have unequivocally decided that I will absolutely stay involved to the extent that I can via the web, phone, and the occasional in-person harassment.  I’m not leaving what has added so much to my life; I’m just changing zip codes.

This move is happening fast. I will soon be road-tripping across country, and by July 5th I will be moving into my new digs in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque.  I look forward to sharing many photos du jour (del dia!) of the beauty that surrounds me in my new casa, but till then I will settle for scamming photos off the internet in attempts to seduce you with New Mexican beauty and encourage visitors.

To my close friends and family who have supported me through this process, I thank you. Thank you for your support and encouragement as I have been a bit of a mess lately while juggling it all.  Thank you to my coach who has given me his support and understanding, and tolerated my crazy life while still trying to be a triathlete.  Finally making a big decision is almost therapeutic, though, and I am now incredibly excited for the challenge that awaits.

If you’re around next weekend, swing by Pure Taqueria SATURDAY, 6/26 Alpharetta from 5-7pm so I can say goodbye! Nothing formal as I know everyone is busy (and some are racing the next morning), but if you’re around I’d love to see you before I take off.

http://www.puretaqueria.com/

103 Roswell Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009-1931.  (678) 240-0023

If I don’t get to see you, don’t think you won’t hear from me again! I will definitely be “around” still and look forward to keeping an active role in this amazing team/organization / community we have!

So, here’s to losing sight of the shore.   I am pretty sure I won’t find any new oceans in New Mexico, but I will at least find the Rio Grande!