Life Updates in Arizona
I can’t believe it’s been almost 3 months since I last posted on my blog (Seasons of Life). A lot has happened since then, but it was a nice and much needed hiatus that I was able to take. I really wanted to take some time to adjust to so many life changes I’ve gone through over the past year.
I’m currently living in Phoenix, AZ and soaking up every minute of it! Many people wondered why I would 1) Move out of UT and 2) Move to Phoenix, AZ. I had been wanting to move out of UT for a very long time. I only intended to live there during my time in college at Weber State University. I never thought I’d be there for 14 years. This was my time to move if I was going to. Having a super flexible job and plenty of support was a huge part of me being able to move out-of-state. Also, I just wanted to start fresh, somewhere new. Make new memories in a new environment. Why AZ? It was between that, Las Vegas, or Boise. Plus, a bonus is that it doesn’t snow here! I am so lucky and grateful to have my significant other here. He has helped make my time here in AZ so amazing and memorable.
Will we stay in AZ forever? No, but it’s been an amazing stepping stone and journey in my life. Once I moved to AZ back in August, I ran into health issue after health issue. As always, I was able to get through it and kept moving forward. It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Theo & Rayna are adapting well and currently live with 5 other dogs (there’s now 5 dogs in our pack!). Rayna has adjusted a bit better than Theo, which is surprising since she had such a tough time when I adopted her in Utah. She’s only had 2-3 accidents here indoors, and absolutely loves to play with the other dogs non-stop until she’s tuckered out. Theo, on the other hand, is still getting used to not having his own space and living with so many other dogs. It’s been difficult for him to share that space and attention.
Coming up on November 18th I am getting my tonsils removed, so that my Inspire (sleep apnea) implant can be more effective. This will allow my airway to be opened up more, so that I can get oxygen to my brain. Without my tonsils out (yet), I’m still dealing with the exhausting side effects of severe sleep apnea. I’m excited to finally be on the path to feeling much better! I’ve worked hard for almost a year on not letting my health consume me and devour my life and happiness. Unless I really just can’t handle the day because of extreme pain, I constantly fight against the exhaustion, daily headaches, to move forward and live life to its fullest.
Also, another exciting update is that I got promoted at work to an Admissions Counselor! It’s been hard work being on a newly-formed team at WGU and being the main person to handle the admissions process for our Teachers College students. Although this promotion has been a long time coming, it was still an amazing and much-appreciated surprise. I have such an awesome team. My manager has been so amazing through all of my health issues, needing time off, surgeries, etc. I’m grateful to be in such a great position, have a stable and flexible job, and be able to move when needed.
More life updates to come soon. Big life changes are coming!!! 2022 is going to be my year! xoxo Shannon
