The first reaction I get when I tell anyone I’ve been welding is laughter. Lots of it. Which, trust me, I get it. It’s funny. Little ol’ Lauren melting metal together in her glitter sneaks…it’s a funny visual. I mean hell…it even makes me laugh sometimes. If I’m being honest…before I started this new little hobby of mine, the only knowledge I had on welding was what Channing Tatum taught me in Magic Mike (which can I just take a second to say…welding shirtless is very unrealistic – and frowned upon. **ouch**). But there is something so fun and somewhat empowering about learning something completely new and out of your comfort zone. The idea of building something completely from scratch out of steel WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS was not something I ever thought I’d be doing.
I feel like in the last several years I’ve spent a lot of time standing still. Maybe not professionally or even literally…but personally I’ve felt stuck. Kind of like those dreams where you are trying to run but you can’t get yourself to move. That’s how I felt. Just stuck in one place and like life was flying by without me. So maybe welding isn’t the answer to a happy, fulfilled life. But it’s something I did for me. It was a step towards something that I wanted – which wasn’t just a piece of furniture – but a life spent moving and doing and learning and becoming better. A life that fills me up instead of breaks me down. A life that I can truly say is my best.
So…here’s the beginning of my welding adventure. As silly as it sounds I haven’t been this excited about something in quite a while. So while you may see the beginning of a fabulous one-of-a-kind bar cart (stay tuned of part II to see the finished product)…I see a girl who got a little lost along the way but is finally back on track. And is 1000% living her best life.
May I present…the beginning of my steaming pile of pride. Otherwise known as my bar cart. 🙂
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by laurenwakefield