The start of the year has been a very good rocky. My passion for aviation is developing further, and I’m continuing to prepare for work in Phoenix, whenever it is that I end up down there. I admit I’ve found myself bouncing between distraction and illness. It seems this year is particularly bad for whatever it is that is making the rounds in Central Iowa. Falling more in love with aviation has introduced some new opportunities and new paths I can take in my career, and like I mentioned, it’s also been a bit distracting.

UX COURSE WITH MISSY
Missy is a dear friend from Boston who is also a fellow designer. She has a curriculum from a user experience design course that she took and now she is so kindly taking the time to teach me. I’ve found a website that seems to need an update that is also in keeping with my love of aviation: Cargolux. They are a European cargo airline, and they proudly fly a lot of 747s. I’m learning a lot about customer discovery, finding patterns, and how to think about UX. It’s a lot of stuff I already know, but also a lot of stuff that maybe I didn’t quite have right. It’s exciting to learn things from new perspectives!

THE JACKET
I bought a new jacket and this jacket is going to tell the story of how I moved to Phoenix and got a job with American Airlines. It’s a grand new adventure. I have no idea what this looks like but I know I fully intend on keeping my company, so clients, don’t fret. I’m still here for you and I plan on always being here for you! My best friend Jackie had a brilliant idea after she found out my growing obsession with patches: use the patches as merit badges for when I accomplish parts of my goals. This is why I bought the jacket. Every patch will represent a goal met.

SOCIAL MEDIA SILENCE
I know I’ve been quiet on social media lately. Being sick three times in two months on top of the holidays has gotten a little crazy, and as any good entrepreneur would do, I’ve chosen to take time to recover, care for myself, and get back on the proverbial horse. If I’m being totally honest, social media is hard for me because I want to provide meaningful content that is relevant to what I’m doing as well as relevant to my clients, but also be totally genuine. Balancing those two can be a real challenge.