Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

We drove through the night, made much better time than I expected and arrived in Houston at 9:45am. Thank God for wonderful hotel staff at the Hyatt Place. They let us check in immediately. We showered and crashed.

I had ALOT of thinking time. And, of course, traveling is my happy place. I have been struggling since last fall with what is next for me. And a dream picture is starting to form…

I say dream picture because while it may be something I want, it is not something easily attainable. And it is an idea still forming.

Life After Kids Inspiration

Here’s what is inspiring it…

1. Travel – I love travel, I’ve always loved travel. And seeing all the people living in their cars and such. I really think I could do that and be very happy. At least part year.

2. Big City Exploring – there is just so much I still want to see and do. Getting into Houston and then hitting the streets was so fun. All the murals on the walls, restaurants and converted buildings. I just want to explore and document.

3. Freedom – my personal website that I’m playing with is IWantMoreFreedom.com because that is what I want and always have wanted, just free to go, see, do.

I don’t know how all of this works together. But some ideas are definitely percolating for what life could look like next. I guess the big thing would be to create a plan, focus on really getting debt free, and seeing if this dream life could possibly be some sort of reality.

We all realize I tend to do things a bit backwards. I would create a budget and then set my find to finding the work to make the budget work versus seeing my income and making a budget. This is kind of the same thing. I want to create a vision of my life and then create a plan to make it happen. It’s just how I work best.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.