Hi friends and fellow life travelers!

Taffeta here, in Dallas, TX, and I am SO excited to share with you the next chapter of my story!

After two incredibly tough months of soul-searching, I’ve made the decision to follow my heart and heed the call of adventure and opportunities out to California where I feel I can successfully pursue the life and career I’ve always wanted.

Although my plan was always to head to California, the plan included more time, more preparation, more cushion, and more control. I wanted to do it on my own terms. But life has a funny way of pushing you out the door when it’s time to go… even when you're not ready. And in all fairness, the only things that kept me rooted in Texas were my job and my best dog. And now… I don’t have either.

What I do have is a fire in my heart, a will to begin again, and the strength to keep going.

For context and transparency;

At the end of July, I was unexpectedly laid off from my job, a foundation I’d relied on for stability for nearly ten years. Since then, I’ve done my best to stay on my feet by chasing contract work in and out of state, accepting lower paying gigs, driving and delivering, to just about anything to make it work. I tapped what connections I have in TX with little response or victory, so what savings I do have, is starting to disappear with a quickness.

The AMAZING thing is that now the road is calling me with exciting job opportunities that could change the course of my career and well-being, but time is short. Mine and Finley’s (cat) relocation needs to happen quickly, to ensure I can secure my future success. But no matter how I calculate it, I simply can’t cover the costs alone, and this crushes me so much to admit. I’ve been selling my belongings to lighten the load and lessen the move costs and raise what extra funds I can, but it’s not quite enough. The window is small, and that’s why I’m asking for your help, something I’ve always found difficult and, honestly, deeply uncomfortable to do.

I know the world is heavy for so many people right now, which is part of what made this so difficult to write and even more so, share. I have a feeling though, that maybe that’s part of this journey too, learning to let go of my pride and open myself to community, fellowship and grace. To believe that me admitting I need help isn’t weak, but a kind of strength.

This feels like more than just a move, it's like the beginning of my second life and a chance to further invest in myself and rebuild in a way that helps me grow personally and professionally.

So if you’d like to support me in reclaiming my future, (or as a belated birthday wish) please know you’ll be helping me take the chance I wish I’d taken almost 17 years ago. Every bit, big or small, gets me one step closer to rebuilding my foundation.

Thank you for walking beside me, even for a moment, as I take my first step onto the road ahead.

Goal: $6000

Moving truck/pod, gas, hotel one night in AZ, and storage in Santa Ana for 3 months: $3500

Temp housing deposit: $2500

GoFundMe fee: ?

Asking: $6500

*In lieu of this being a charity case, once settled; I’d love to send anyone who wants it, hand-written updates, photos, prints, comics I didn’t have time to sell, or whatever I can along with my eternal gratitude.