The Inspiration Behind Late August
As the founder and editor of Late August Media, today’s launch is especially important because it’s representative of a shift I personally made earlier this year–one that was so fundamentally different from how I had been living for my entire adulthood.
This is the story of the creation of Late August and discovering my personal purpose in life.
2022 was an incredibly tough year for me. My father passed away moments before the new year arrived. As the weeks and months passed, I began the process of saying goodbye to my father and the business of closing out his life. If you’ve ever experienced the loss of a parent, partner or close family member, you know how it unequivocally changes you. And, as one piece of my life shifted, so did the rest.
The truth is that I hadn’t been happy with many aspects of life for some time and the loss of my dad shifted my tolerance for those toxic and misaligned parts. As cliche as it sounds, life is way too short to be unhappy or live with regrets. Throughout the remainder of the year and the beginning of 2023, I made changes that resulted in the end of what I thought was a close friendship, moving across the country, closing down my startup, and eventually letting my biggest client go.
Once I cleared the parts of my life that were no longer aligned and I was looking at a blank piece of paper, I asked myself how I wanted to feel and what I wanted to do with my life.
Following a deep meditation, it became clear: I want my life to be an adventure and to have fun. I want more moments of joy and connection. I want deep conversations with friends old and new. I want to create the best recipes every single day–not just on special occasions. I want to travel the world and cherish the journey of life with those I love near and dear.
As I began sharing this shift with my friends and family, it quickly became clear that I wasn’t alone. So many women have the same desires and challenges. They weren’t fulfilled with their life: their friendships had shifted or dwindled, they didn’t do things that lit them up on a regular basis, weren’t fulfilled with their job or were living life without a north star.
So, when did this change happen? As we grow up and become adults, we become focused on careers, romantic partners, children, aging parents, finances, credit scores, the milestones we may or may not be achieving, and the business of being an adult. We don’t prioritize ourselves, our joy, or how we want to feel. We wait for the weekend, holidays, and vacation to have fun and live our best lives.
But, it wasn’t always like this. What were we like before the world told us what to be and what to prioritize? I recalled a moment in my childhood when life felt amazing.
That moment was the end of the summer, just before we went back to school when we were making the most of every single day. We left our houses in the morning after breakfast to tackle the day’s adventure with our friends–sometimes it was planned, sometimes the day unfolded on its own. We drank from water hoses and didn’t go home until the street lights flickered on. We chased the ice cream truck. We sat in our yards watching the sunset or running around catching fireflies. We had the kind of fun we didn’t know would be the memories we cherished later in life.
What if we could infuse those feelings and values throughout adulthood?
And, that was the moment the idea for Late August was born.
Modern women don’t have a playbook for life. The only playbook we have is the one from previous generations where our life’s milestones are deciding on a career, finding a husband, buying a home and raising a family. That’s not necessarily the path the Millennial generation and those younger than us are taking. Many millennials are not getting married or getting married and not having kids. Our careers aren’t the same. Life looks different now than it ever has.
And, that’s good news. That means we can write our own stories while paving the way for generations of women to come.
My hope is that Late August serves as a steward for not waiting one more day to live your best life. That it inspires you to seek out fun, joy, connection, great tasting food, adventures big and small, and enjoying the luxuries of a life well lived.
And, most of all, I hope it inspires you to stop waiting for the weekend, for a partner, for a vacation, or for the next milestone to live the life you want to live.
While your Late August may not be that same exact moment as mine, you very likely have your own version of it. I hope you find a way to embody it in some way every day of your life.
With love and a tight hug I welcome you to Late August,
Jamie