Last night was pretty awesome.
Sarah was in town!
And as is customary when Sarah is in town, there was sushi. This time, though, it was Girls Night Out!
I met some pretty darn cool ladies. And a couple of really cool things came out of the evening. Laughter, new friendships, hilarious stories – and a new Love-A-Thon.
For those of you who may not know, a Love-A-Thon is where the blog community comes together to fill a need. This time, it’s a little girl who needs help. Her family needs funds to travel to get her special medical treatment. Check out their story on Christy’s blog.
Something else pretty cool happened for me last night.
A couple of these ladies, I met last year at the MckGathering. Back then I had an infant with poopy diapers and an insatiable appetite, so I wasn’t terribly sociable.
Oh, and last year, I also had crippling anxiety. In all truth, I hid behind my baby because I was so terrified. If I did not busy myself with my baby, I would literally shake with anxiety.
It occurred to me as I was driving home that it is almost one year since I began my blog, and almost one year since the event that pushed me into starting it. The thing that kick-started me into blogging was the realization that I did not have to live with the shyness and insecurity and anxiety any more. I could conquer it. I didn’t have to let it control me. So I began blogging as a means of overcoming those things, because I had been more insecure and fearful about making my writing public than almost anything else.
Almost a year later, what a journey it’s been.
Last night, I had an absolute blast! I walked to my car grinning from ear to ear. And I realized as I drove, one year ago, this experience would have paralyzed me. I would have practically hyperventilated on the drive to the restaurant. I would have physically trembled all evening. My mind would have been blank. I would have spent the entire drive home thinking of what I could have said. It would have been torturous. Not because of anything anybody else did – but because I was consumed by insecurity, fear, and anxiety.
Now, though, about a year later, all I cared about last night was having fun. And have fun I did! I cannot wait to do it again. Whether or not sushi is involved. Although rumor has it there will be cake in the future…yeah, Karina, you know who I’m talkin’ about… 
You ever have times where you wonder how much progress you’ve made in something, and then all of a sudden you get one big moment where it all comes together and you really see how far you’ve come?
That was last night for me.
What a journey.
Thank you, all of you, for joining me on my journey. It’s a little wacky, sometimes deep, often fun, and always full of life and love. I’m glad you’re here. Always have been, always will be.
And thank you to the lovely ladies I was privileged to hang out with last night! You guys energized and blessed me in more ways than you know!
