It was a little over a year ago.  Maybe eighteen months?

Sometime back then, in our provisions notebook that was a gift from hannaH when it was most important to look for provisions – and we’re still finding it pretty essential – I wrote these words down …..

Got a job at Travelers Rest Here.com.

And I did.  A freelance writing job for a local website that paid a bit.

Almost exactly one year later – both in November – I was presented with an opportunity to do something more than just write for the website.

Through a whole myriad of yeses and nos and maybes and timing and financial provision that can only be described as divine (and of which I’d be happy to share the more personal details privately and face to face with you) I moved on up from writer to owner.

It’s a little exciting.

I took the kids out to dinner (in TR of course – it was only right) to celebrate me and us and buying a business and making steps I never thought I’d make.  I own a business you guys!!!

I was a little more thrilled than most grown ups might be when I went to the bank to open a business account and I got my own business debit card.  With my business name on it. I high-fived myself because no one else happened to be around.  (Kidding, guys.  I’m sort of silly, but I did not actually high five myself in a bank parking lot.  Maybe I skipped to the car and grinned in a doofy way.  Also – I just typed the word doofy as a personal description.  Whatever.  I wore yellow shorts in high school and my son wants to keep every cardboard box we get to sleep in like a bed (even though he HAS a bed) and I still like to have dance parties in my own kitchen and I can call myself doofy and sling out personal high fives all day long if I want.  That’s what business owners do – am I right?)

Anyway.  TravelersRestHere.com is a website – the “official” travel source for our family’s favorite little town of Travelers Rest – and it features a blog with posts about the people and the places, the stories and the history of our town.  There’s a Town Guide for locals and visitors to figure out where to eat and where to sleep and who sells cinnamon rolls and where you can buy coffee.  We’ve got an events page and you know – just all the things you would assume a travel resource for a town should have.

It’s fun.  And it’s hard.  And it’s my new job and my new time-taker-upper.  (It’s the reason I’ve missed posts here and missed some sleep too.)

The order of my life is still the exact same:

Jesus.
Kids – raising and educating them.

But now I’m adding website owner along with writer and blogger and editor to the third place position.

The balancing act has been a challenge at times – and I am sure it will continue to be a challenge.  It’s still a mostly late at night venture for me because that’s when I can accomplish tasks.

It’s been so neat already though to partner with businesses I’ve long been supporting and with people I’ve already been working with.  It’s humbling to see bits and pieces evolve together from friendships and relationships.

You guys – my readers – have always been such kind supporters of all that our family has undertaken.  And although this job is certainly mine for now, it is truly still a family job.  The kids have been a great set of team players as they are occasionally required to complete their school work at a coffee shop while I conduct interviews and they are quick to pitch in and help with dinner and to ask encouraging questions and to give me all those high fives when I get excited.

If you have a hankering to lend a virtual hand to this new venture – there’s actually quite a bit you can do from right where you are sitting this very moment!

You can like the TravelersRestHere Facebook page.  (This helps increase our followers and our likes to improve our chances of being seen and enticing advertisers to partner with TRH.  It really matters — so thank you very much for taking the time to do this!)

You can follow us on Instagram.  (Same premise here of course.  And – we have really great photos so it’s a fun feed to follow. My friend Jane is working with me and lending her photographic skills to the team.  You’ve seen her work on this blog a lot.  Also – we’ll be hosting giveaways and goodies periodically.  So, there’s that too.)

If you’re in TR, visiting or living, you can use the TravelersRestHere hashtag when you take pictures in TR and share them.

Also – and this makes a much bigger difference than you realize – share the Facebook posts.

Visit the website.  (I put a link on the sidebar.)

Read the blog posts.

Click on the advertisers.

Comment on the blog posts.  Comment on Facebook.  Comment on Instagram.

Share the blog posts.

Subscribe to the newsletter.

If you are local – BE an advertiser!

Aaaaaand.  I think my list is exhausted.  That’s a LOT you can do and I’m grateful for any of those tasks that you take the time in your own busy life to do.

And –  one last one – I’m currently accepting all high-fives when I next see you.

_______________________