Friends, I have something to tell you. I have a goal, a dream — a big one. I’ve had it for several years now, and while I’ve shared it with a handful of people, I haven’t exactly been shouting it from the rooftops. But I’ve decided to put it out there for all the world to see, so that you can hold me accountable, perhaps provide a bit of encouragement, and follow me on this journey.
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I have about two weeks left for this fall’s capsule wardrobe, and I’ve reached the point where I’m getting pretty tired of wearing the same few outfits over and over again. It’s nice not to have to put much thought into what I’m going to wear, but on the other hand, I’m a little bored. I’m craving more variety and missing some of the items I packed away. Now that the weather has gotten cold, I’m wishing I had more sweaters to choose from. I’ve also had to attend more trials than usual this fall, and wearing the same two suits week after week is getting old.
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Anyone who knew me when I was younger would surely tell you that I did not have an innate interest in fashion. One of my good friends from high school followed all the trends, knew what brands celebrities were wearing, idolized Carrie Bradshaw, and aspired to a career in fashion merchandizing. I occasionally picked up bits of knowledge from her, but otherwise, I was pretty clueless. I bought most of my clothes from the clearance racks at places like Kohl’s. As a result, I often dressed more like a grandmother than a stylish teen or 20-something. When I interviewed for my first post-college job, I wore a too-tight ivory suit from Target, and one of the interviewers kindly told me afterward that I had neglected to clip the “X” of thread at the back hem of the skirt that held the two pieces of the slit together. When I had to attend business professional events in college, I didn’t own an actual suit, so I paired non-matching black pants with a black blazer in a completely different fabric (although in retrospect, perhaps they were different enough that I actually pulled this off despite not knowing any better). Read more
I have a confession to make: I don’t really like golf. I mean, it’s okay. If I were forced to spend an afternoon playing golf, I wouldn’t hate it. I’d probably enjoy being outdoors and socializing as I made my way through 18 holes. But I don’t love it. The few times I’ve played a full round of golf, I got pretty bored by about the 11th hole. Golfing is okay, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for how I want to spend my free time and money.
A couple of months ago, about eight years after graduating from law school, I used my tax refund to pay off the remainder of my law school loans. It felt amazing. I have a few student loans left from undergrad, and I’m on track to pay those in full by the end of this year. (I paid the law school loans first because their interest rate was higher.) Watching the balances shrink as I’ve thrown money at them has been exhilarating, and I’m excited to be able to focus more on saving and meeting other big financial goals going forward. I began attending college in 2002, and more than sixteen years later, I’m finally almost finished paying for it.