Vacation for an entrepreneur in a creative field is just a fancy way of saying, “I’m working away from my home turf.” That’s okay with me because I think as long as you love your job, it doesn’t matter where you go. That being said, I like a poolside office.
Still have to work on vacation. But the upside is that I can work from anywhere.
Over Christmas, my aunts, Sara and Jane, suggested we all take spring break and go see my cousin Mike, his wife and their kids. As usual, I proudly booked with American Airlines. I was proud because of all of us, I booked the cheapest tickets, including bag checks, premium economy, and a seat upgrade for about $750. I had to drive to Omaha, but it was cheaper than flying out of Des Moines.
I hate mornings even when I travel, so I lay everything out in an intuitive way, mostly one that involves getting up, going into the bathroom, and coming out ready to leave.
Over the few days in Florida, I got to hang out with my family and meet my cousin’s wife and kids. We got to go to an open air produce market, we went shopping, visited the beach, swam in our AirBnb’s pool, and I got to rock my new swimsuit and new sunglasses. Not to mention we got to spent so much time with my cousins Mike and Jen. I adore them so much. It was my first time meeting Jen and the kids. Jen is perfect for Mike.
As enjoyable as my vacation was, I came to the realization that I am the black sheep in my family. I’m unconventional. While my family got four year degrees, got married in their twenties, and got steady, decent-paying jobs, I got a two year degree at 29, have not married, and instead of going the traditional employment route, I started a company. In addition, I am an open and practicing Christian (even if it doesn’t fit the mold, but then, this is what this is all about), and the Christian members of my family are not open about their faith. Last but not least, I am an adventurer. I climb. I hike. I travel. And those are the things I invest in. That unsettles some people.
I will happily own the label of black sheep. If I hadn’t already branded myself as Emma Lee Creative and FlyowaCat, perhaps I would create a brand revolving around the black sheep identity. The reason why is that the black sheep splinters the grain. They burn the white flag. (No really click that link, because that song is amazing!) The black sheep are typically the ones to buck convention and do big things. They are the one’s who take risks and sometimes it doesn’t work. They are the one’s who say, “Meh, I’ll figure it out.” That’s me. My swimsuit was the loudest, and when my family was shopping for clothes I went to the book store to buy a book on aviation. When everyone else went for fruit and eggs for breakfast, I went for Lucky Charms.
While it kind of sucks to be the odd one out like that, this trip reminded me that I’m on the right path. In the midst of all the risks I’ve taken, I still feel confident in what I’m doing and where I’m heading. Over these short three years, I’ve learned to enjoy being the black sheep. It’s given me a sense of pride in my work because I’m doing something that takes courage and I’m doing something new. For every way that I don’t fit in or obey the status quo, there is another courageous, fiery soul there to encourage me. I wouldn’t trade this for anything. (Except for maybe a job at American Airlines.)
Being the black sheep is great in a lot of ways. People might constantly be trying to keep you on track, but there’s a lot of vindication that you get out of not playing by their rules. It feels really good to splinter the grain, and its not their job to keep you on track anyway. I think sometimes we have to quietly and persistently let people know that it’s our life. It’s in that rebellion that I find what my fire needs to burn.