So, I did it! I graduated college! It was time to spend my days having fun- no homework, no exams, no class.
How did I celebrate? I spent a month working full-time at a restaurant to save up some cash, and I packed up my belongings and loaded them into a 4x8 cargo trailer.
Picture this: me, my mom, my pet lizard named Jocko, and a 25-hour road trip from Arizona to Pensacola. Sure, moving across the country and leaving everyone you know might sound crazy.
But when you're used to packing up your life every few years, it's just another Tuesday. I grew up in a military family, so it was no surprise to my parents when I decided to date a Navy NFO.
And as one does when they are in love, I moved to Pensacola to follow his career, but I’d be damned before I gave up mine!
Flash forward to my arrival in Florida, my boyfriend and I just closed on our new house, I am sitting on our living room floor - yes floor, we didn’t have a couch yet- and I came across a golden opportunity.
“Local Law Firm Hiring.”
I had never filled out a worksheet so quickly, not even on my senior year final exam. (It was convenient that most of the questions were about me.)
I held my breath and clicked submit, awaiting their response, hoping they would call for an interview, and I would be the lucky candidate that won the job.
At least, that's what I did for the first 5 seconds after I applied. But, like a true southern gal who knows if you want something, you have to go get it for yourself; I picked up the phone and gave the office a call.
If anyone knows me, they know a word to best describe Aubrey Gibbs is persistent.
Something they don't tell you about moving, is that you leave behind your network and connections.
Getting a career level job after starting fresh requires either luck, or a bad habit of showing up unannounced with a portfolio and flawless outfit.
It would seem the latter was successful in this case, as a week later I got my interview.
I won’t bore anyone with all the details of the process, but ecstatically I got the job. I couldn’t believe it.
Only a few weeks prior, I felt so unprepared. I had no plan and no financial security. I took a leap of faith when I moved.
I knew I was taking a road less traveled, that I was going to have to work harder to achieve what I wanted, and that I was giving up other opportunities.
But, if I had not stepped out of my comfort zone and empowered myself to take action toward the future I wanted, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to work in such an amazing place with such amazing people.
Making steps toward planning for your future can seem daunting. Making a financial investment toward your future when there is uncertainty is a hard choice.
But security is priceless.
When you advocate for yourself and take control of your future by setting up an Estate Plan, you avoid the anxiety of feeling unprepared.
It may seem like more work now, but in the future, you will appreciate the sense of relief, knowing your affairs are in order, and peace of mind, knowing your loved ones are protected; all because you took that leap of faith, and invested in yourself.
Keep pushing, keep growing, or, as Granny Gibbs would say, 'Get 'er done!
- Aubrey "Getting 'Er Done" Gibbs
