I’m back.
What a whirlwind this year has been! A few lows but so many highs. As some of you may know, I got married in April in the easiest, most fulfilling way I could have ever imagined. Especially given the fact that I got engaged and planned a wedding in less than two months. It was God’s perfect timing. I also saw London and Paris for the first time. But months before any wedding bells and traveling across seas, I made a somewhat big decision. I left my former job as a reporter to find something that I felt was more aligned with my skill set and, ultimately, who and what I desired to be.
Honestly, this wasn’t that big a deal. I’ve done it before. For me, the journalism industry was no longer appealing. Staring at 30, something in me no longer had the desire to chase after people and stories day and night. That wasn’t the only thing: the money, hours, and treatment. My lifelong dream of being a journalist was no longer a dream. It wasn’t a bad thing. After all, I had accomplished my goals, right? I was a newspaper reporter in a major city and an editor of a magazine too. I worked as a radio producer under the biggest name in news talk and got to cover the place where I grew up. Journalism has allowed me to do amazing things:
- Attend events at the White House
- Free concerts
- Interview icons
- Work from home (before that was a thing), exclusive red carpet access, and the list goes on and on
But what got me excited at 22 was no longer doing it for me. Now, I value my time above anything, my ability to be a homeowner, tangible benefits, working smarter, not harder, and not having my income capped to a certain point. I was done with journalism.
But, of course, it’s not that simple. While, yes, I decided to resign from my position, I still worked faithfully as a freelance journalist every week. I also decided to start my own news company, so to speak. I thought that was the answer to the woes I was experiencing, but as the world turns, it wasn’t. More on that later.
The thing I was trying to hold onto with that venture, I realized, was not not being a journalist but my true passion: writing. Writing isn’t the same thing as being a journalist. I write because it’s just who I am. It’s my offering to the world. Needless to say, as I began my now short-lived venture, I got an opportunity to use my writing skills in a completely different industry. I saw the job, I applied, and three interviews later, I was hired. This was a corporate communications job, one I didn’t even know I needed, and boy, is it sweet. That’s one of the many things I love about God. I always say he is the ultimate storyteller, and no one can craft a better story quite like the man above.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention I recently finished my first novel. It’s a book I started five years ago and is now in the editing process. More on that later as well. Through all of these recent changes: a new career, new marriage, a new book, traveling, and just living, Sarafinasaid has taken the back burner in my life. I won’t lie. I’ve had moments where I’ve thought about just shutting it down because a: I don’t have the time, b: who cares anyway, c: I don’t have the time, but something won’t let me let it go. And, of course, I don’t want to. It’s special to me for all the reasons.
Now that I’m not swamped with work and have made tough decisions about what I truly have the capacity for, my mind is clearer. And my clear mind led me right here, again. I also think turning 30 soon, God willing, has me in a different space entirely. I’m a grown woman, I can do whatever I want. I have a voice, trust my voice, and I’m not afraid to use it. This hasn’t always been the case for many reasons, but I think with age and maturity comes certain gifts.
In closing, if you’ve been keeping up with me on this thing over the years, I will still blog about the latest things of interest in the beauty, fashion, entertainment, and travel world and do it even better! But expect more of me and my opinion, especially my cultural commentary. Also, look out for the SS newsletter— currently untitled— and more of my life, my books, my travels, and my thoughts, but not too much, of course.
P.S. I used to be on my Tyler Perry ish that only I can write for SS, but that’s changed. If you’re interested, email me at sarafina@sarafinasaid(dot)com.
