Not what I'd imagined, but not half bad either.

A friend on the Etsy forums started a thread tonight asking people if they ever felt like the life they're living isn't the one they had in mind for themselves. That really got me thinking.

I started working retail jobs in high school, and that continued into my 20s because me and college just didn't really mesh. About 6 years ago, though, I started having some escalating health problems. It got harder and harder to work, and I wasn't getting a diagnosis (not to mention effective treatment). My parents and I finally came to the decision that I should stop working until the health issues had been identified and addressed.

I eventually was diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia and severe migraines. I tried a few more regular jobs, even completed a correspondence course with the intention of starting a career as a medical office assistant, but even with treatment I still wasn't well enough to hold a regular job. I applied for social security disability, and didn't get it. Somewhere in there, I started knitting and crocheting, just as a hobby. Things looked pretty bleak, and I'd knit to keep myself from going nuts. I did a lot of knitting.

So then in 2007, I read an article in the paper about Etsy.com and mentioned a local craft fair coming up that was composed entirely of Etsy sellers. My mother and I thought it sounded interesting, so we went and checked it out. I'd done a little research on the Etsy concept beforehand, and then by then end of our lunch after the fair, we were making plans for my Etsy shop's grand opening! I hung around the forums for a while, and then started selling in December 2007. I've had more success than I had initially allowed myself to expect, and things are only getting better.

So I can say with great conviction that my life isn't the one I had envisioned. It's very different, but in many ways it's far better. I'm doing something I love, and I'm doing it on my own terms. I've got great support from my fellow Etsians, and there's nothing else I'd rather do.