Quarter Life Crisis Pt. 1

Hello Friends! I hope y'all had a smashing weekend. Max and I went to the Red&White Game, ate too many hotdogs, ice cream, popcorn, and cotton candy to hold us over until the next R&W. Anyway, I wanted to get right down to business and tell you that I've actually been working on some pieces for my blog. I am working on a series of Quarter Life Crisis stories and today we begin with my darling friend Beauty in the Midwest. She is a beautifully accomplished woman with the most adorable puppy and husband. I got to spend time with them over the holidays and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with their family. I even applied to K-State in the hopes that we could be neighbors and become ultimate BFFs because Dani is just that kind of lady. Here we go!

QUARTER LIFE CRISIS PT. 1

I finally learned how to shut a place down! Aggieville is now a favorite place of mine :)

**I, Dani Devlin Mertz, am having a full-fledged middle quarter life crisis. I never believed in a “middle life” crisis growing up...but here I am, not in a “middle life” crisis, but a quarter life crisis. At this point, the only decisions that I do not regret are marrying my adorable husband, moving back to my hometown, and being mom to the best wheaten terrier on Earth (I’m sure there are a few other decisions I don’t regret as well, but they escape me right now). In my younger years (and now, who am I kidding), I love(d) being the best. In high school, I was the best at accounting. It was easy, made sense, and I felt this great accomplishment when I scored the highest in the class. So, naturally, when I started college at Kansas State University, I thought “I am going to major in accounting, get the highest grades, sit for the CPA exam, and take the highest paid job out of college that I possibly can!” Well, I majored in accounting, got very high grades, and the highest paid job out of college for my major (you notice I didn’t sit for the CPA exam, great decision, seriously). Now, 2 years after graduation, I wonder why I ever majored in accounting! Quarter. Life. Crisis. Don’t get me wrong - I loved my first year out of college...traveled the world (literally), gained an incredible amount of independence, and made some AMAZING friends (YWIA represent and that’s how I met Ruby!). But again, Quarter. Life. Crisis. NO IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE. There are so many options out there, and I have absolutely no direction right now - which, honestly, is a first for me. So, what do you do when you have a quarter life crisis? Well, I started my fashion blog - attempting (and I mean attempting) to make that into a semi-career. Planning and researching additional education for fashion merchandising, cosmetology school (I have not admitted that to anyone yet!), and even a doctorate degree. Talking with my entrepreneur husband about possible business ventures including: dogs, fashion, bottles (all over the map). Having great discussions with strong, powerful, and intelligent women about how to succeed in the workplace and family. Are you starting to get the picture? This girl is L-O-S-T...and it’s the first time in my 24 (almost 25) years of life, that I am totally (ok, maybe 80%) ok with it. So, what now? Well, I think it’s ok to have a quarter life crisis. I can take the time I need to figure out what I want out of life, and how to get it. I can spend time with the people in my life who matter the most. I can explore my options. I can make some amazing connections. And...I can have the time of my life doing it. I am trying to remind myself that every single day matters, and whether in a quarter life crisis or not, I can try to be “my best” every single day.

Thanks to Ruby for organizing this collaborative blog post. Hopefully, any of you have a quarter life crisis will feel a little comfort reading our stories. Happy Happy Monday everyone!**

*** Are any of you guys going through this same thing?? I'd love to hear some Quarter Life stories!