LaKey, Where Have You Been?

I know I just popped up out of nowhere with a post, and y’all have been wondering LaKey, where have you been. Well, I have been staying under the radar and working. I have been trying to keep things afloat while also trying to enjoy life. Let me explain in further detail.

The House

As most of you guys should know by now, I moved from Birmingham to Memphis 3 years ago. I took a major pay cut to work in the social services field as a counselor. That wasn’t the only financial hit, though. I decided to keep my home in Birmingham, which means that I still had to pay a mortgage. This sucked because rent is ridiculously high compared to when I was renting years and years ago.

So for the last 3 years, I was paying my mortgage in Birmingham and an apartment in Memphis. Yeah, I know, I did it to myself. I just didn’t want to sell my house and then not be able to buy one when I decided to go back home, if I decide to go back home. Also, I always wanted to have a rental property to gain some passive income. After working on it for the last 2 years, I have been able to list and finally rent out my home.

The Career Change

Like I stated previously, I’ve been working on my career. I decided to leave a well-paying job to work as a counselor. As the old folks say, that’s easier said than done. After finishing school, I needed to complete certain requirements. This meant I needed to have 2 years of post-grad work. My new job would give me that experience. But in order for that work to count, I needed to find a supervisor. With me choosing to be a Marriage and Family Therapist, it was difficult for me to find a supervisor due to the field being limited. However, I was able to find a supervisor 8 months in. This meant that the contact hours I accumulated for those past 8 months didn’t count.

Since then, I have been hustling, trying to get my contact and supervision hours completed, which I am almost at the finish line. I have a temporary (associate) license and waiting to take the licensure exam later in the year. It’s been a lot, but I know it will be all worth it in the end.

The Money

With the house and the career change, it has been stressful and draining. My job itself is stressful as I am a youth behavioral health counselor, but the financial strain of taking care of 2 households almost took your girl out. After several promotions, I was able to pull through. I was able to upgrade my apartment and get to a place I was comfortable financially.

Then, my car -the Mazdarati- was ready to sat down. She was 16 years old and tired of running up and down that road to Birmingham. I had to upgrade her the end of last year. Even though I finally received some relief from renting out my home, I still had to pay out money for a new car. I know y’all are going to say that I could have bought an used car, but that used car APR was not a good look. I wanted a car that was reliable and a new car fit that description, especially with those new car end of the year APR deals.

So What Now?

Well, right now, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. I’m studying to pass the LMFT exam and preparing to be a fully licensed therapist by the end of the year. I am also working towards planning several trips because no matter what is going on, I’m going to travel. I hope that answers the question of LaKey, where have you been. I’m excited about my new chapter and what the future holds for me!  As always, talk to you later ladybugs.