Taking a Leap of Faith: 5 signs it’s time for a career change

I was a junior in college when I chose to major in accounting.  At the time I was struggling to find a passion and the economy was struggling as well.  I knew that accounting would guarantee me a job and supply a steady income.

I wasn’t very interested in the subject of accounting, but I was good at it.  I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and a job offer from one of the world’s largest accounting firms.  They lured me with in with fancy lunches, gifts, and the promise of a substantial paycheck.  I figured I’d try it out for a couple years, get my CPA, and at the very least the position would look great on my resume.

Well life often doesn’t go to plan.  I ended up resigning a year and nine months later, without my CPA, and without another job in the industry.  Many people have questioned whether or not I made the right decision for my career and have wondered what the heck happened.  Here are five reasons why I left my secure, well-paying job… and why maybe you should leave yours too.

DATE a girl who travels

I recently saw an article titled “Don’t date a girl who travels” posted by a friend of mine on Facebook.  As a girl who has been to Africa and Central America in the past year alone, I instantly questioned whether this article was written about girls like me.  Once I read the article, I realized that it was describing me entirely.  Had this person read my diary?

While the author had an interesting perspective, I’d like to argue that it’s the wrong perspective.  Everyone should want to date women like me.  Speaking from experience, I know that we are awesome.  Let me tell you why.

My First Guest Blog Post!

You’ll have to forgive me for dropping off the face of the blog-Earth the past couple weeks.  Monday morning I started working full-time as a Tax Associate for a large accounting firm… and I’m still trying to find my new routine. 

They’re very excited for my guest post.

But the good news is I haven’t been completely slacking!  I recently wrote my first guest-blog-post for Josh and Max over at Caveman College.  Their blog focuses on living Primal as a college student… which I know from personal experience can be very challenging!  I encourage you to check out my guest post along with the rest of their awesome site 🙂

Minimalism 3.0

“We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one.” 


– Charles Dickens, Great Expectations


I recently found this quote on a blog I came across: Deconstruct the Girl.  It wasn’t posted to inspire minimalism, but that’s the affect it had on me.  So many of us spend money in order to impress our peers, in order to show how great our lives are.  But at the end of the day money spent, and processions bought, will never buy us happiness.  Collect moments, not things.  

I <3 Sardines…

Dearest Tuna,
You have always been a pantry-staple of mine.  You’re tasty, nutritious, and easy to pack for lunch.  However I’ve met someone new and my pantry now belongs to a new canned fish: sardines.  I’ll never forget the meals we’ve had together…

Regretfully Yours,
Becca

Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms

“An issue that can bring together enviro-lefties and free-market conservatives”

-Andrew O’Hehir

“It’s an eye-popping wake-up call revealing how the USDA and the FDA have increasingly waged war on America’s small farmers. “

-Kevin Thomas

 “You owe it to your children to empower yourself with the truth about food safety and food choice.”

-Joel Salatin

21-Day Sugar Detox

This weekend I attended my friend’s wedding and went home to have a belated birthday celebration with my family.  I kept things mostly Primal by mainly eating pit beef at the wedding and grilled salmon at my house, but both nights I indulged my sweet tooth when it came time for dessert.  I doubt caveman had access to multiple chocolate chip cookies and ice cream pie… but they were both delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed the sugary treats, guilt-free.

But unfortunately this morning I woke up with a serious sugar-hangover: which quickly reminded me how evil sugar is for your body.  After reading Deep Nutrition I learned that sugar causes insulin-resistance, stiffens collagen, jams hormonal signals, and slows neural communication.  These side-effects in turn lead to weight-gain, diabetes, premature wrinkling, arthritis, weakened bones, mood swings, headaches, dulled senses, and more.

Going Caveman: Making Friction Fire

Tomorrow is my 23^rd birthday and as a birthday present to myself, I signed up for a class on Friction Fire Making.  I thought it would be a fun way to experience the caveman lifestyle I’ve been promoting for the past year, as well as learn a necessary survival skill if I’m ever living off-grid.

So early Monday morning I drove to Fredericksburg, Virginia and spent the day with Tim MacWelch, the founder of Earth Connection, along with two other students: Paul and Bob.

friction fire making tools, notice there are no matches!

New Year’s Resolutions: May Progress

“If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you.  If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you.  Whatever good things we build end up building us.”

– Jim Rohn

This was a super-busy, fun-packed month for me and the best part is: I still managed to reach the majority of my goals.  Slowly but surely the changes I’m consciously making in my behavior are becoming more and more like second-nature… and it’s a good feeling.  Here’s another briefing on my monthly progress.

and yet another haircut…

Goal 1: Be a better dresser (specifically: get my new work pants tailored, acquire an iron, and find a dress I can wear to my friend’s wedding in June)

• I managed to get my work pants tailored and find a great dress for my friends’ wedding.  I got the dress from Cache for $53 (marked down from $160!!!) and I’m planning on wearing it to two weddings AND to work when I start my job.  If that’s not a good deal… I don’t know what is!
• Next month:  Acquire the iron I was supposed to get last month and make a “style board.”  Or basically just define the style I would like to have with words and pictures.

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Meat & Nutrition

If you’re like me, you hate a steak that is overcooked.  But did you know ordering a steak well-done affects more than just the meat’s flavor?  The way you cook meat has the ability to ruin or protect the nutrients it contains.

Last week I started reading Deep Nutrition, a book written by Catherine Shanahan, MD and Luke Shanahan, MFA.  In their book they talk about how the food you eat affects your entire body, inside and out, as well as your children… and your children’s children.

So far I’m only about a third of the way through it, but it has already taught an incredible amount… about meat.  Here are 5 things I didn’t know, and 5 things you probably didn’t know either.