Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Freelance writing and editing has been an amazing career for the last ten or so years. It's flexible, I can do it from home, and I can control my schedule. If I want to work at midnight while the kids are sleeping, I can. If I want to write a few emails while the kids play after school, I can. I love interviewing people and writing about them. I love researching and learning new things. I actually love looking at things like sentence structure and grammar. It has been an incredible gift to be able to enjoy this work and raise my babes. In some ways, it has been an ideal situation.

Over the last year or so, as my kids and client-base have grown, I've found the freelancing life somewhat more challenging to manage. It's always hard (and unwise, as a rule) to say "no" to a project because you simply don't know when the next one might come up. This means that some weeks I found myself saying "yes" to working 40+ hours and the next week five. This made planning for childcare difficult. More often than not, I found myself working after the kids went to bed. I often had to leave on Saturdays or Sundays when Jake was home with the kids so that I could set up shop at a coffee shop and work.* I started to regret this...I missed reading and relaxing and watching movies or shows with my husband at night and hanging out with my kids on the weekend. Work was always there and it was difficult to truly close my office door and be done for the day. Finally, I started to realize that I never really got to do my "fun" writing—the essays and poems that I find to be an incredible creative experience. Rather, the only writing I did was what I was getting paid for. I was honestly pleased to be at that point in my career, however, it was in some ways disheartening to me. And I couldn't really see a way around it. (*Please know that I acknowledge the incredible privilege that I enjoy. I have a partner whose work provides healthcare and a salary that allows me the freedom to choose when and how much to work.)

Rewind to this summer when Jake and the boys traveled to Tanzania. The man that coordinated the adventure lived and worked in Tanzania for a half dozen years and helped get a nonprofit off the ground while he was there. Empower Tanzania is based in Iowa, but employs seven Tanzanians in Same, TZ, who do the heavy lifting in country. The funding comes from generous stateside donors and grants. Jake came back absolutely in love with Empower Tanzania. He loved how it was a "listening organization" that let the Tanzanians—the people who know and understand the culture—call the shots. So many times, Americans drop in with big ideas and big projects, only to leave with no trace of sustainability. Empower Tanzania does the opposite. Change is sustained because the locals are empowered. We started pouring some time and resources into the organization. Jake joined the board of directors. We were hooked.

In October, I finished up work for a major client that I consistently averaged about 10 hours a week on. With that hole in my schedule, I began to explore next steps. Did I want to dig in and grow my freelancing business? Maybe write another book while focusing more effort on publishing the first one? (It's still hanging out there...more on that later.) Or was I ready for a change? Wrapping up with this client taught me a few things: I like to work. I like to work from home. 20-30 hours per week is ideal.

You know where this is going...Empower Tanzania was looking to hire. I began the process of applying in October and was offered the job in January. I started as their (part-time, from home) Director of Communications and Development on February 1st. I love it. I'm still in the honeymoon phase, for sure, but I just can't get over how engaging it is. I get emails from Tanzanian colleagues about things like goat projects and meetings with Maasai leaders and integrated farming and female genital mutilation. It's remarkable. I'm so excited for the opportunity to be a part of the work that they do.

The more I learn, the more inspired I am by this simple fact: We can help make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable. With a bit of effort and intentionality, we can literally change the course for generations of people.

I've believed this for awhile, but to be on the inside of international aid work is eye-opening and really, really exciting. You guys know I've been interested in East Africa since we learned about Sintayehu so many years ago. Seeing the struggle of people just like you and me has inspired countless hours of learning, discussing, and jumping to action. I'm thankful today that my passion and skill set have miraculously aligned.

In April, I'm heading to Tanzania with my new boss, colleague, and several potential donors. My task is to interview Tanzanians, take photos, and tell stories to our American supporters. I'm still pinching myself.

This blog is a journal and a record, I hope, of personal growth. Thanks, as always, for sharing the journey!