It is absolutely bizarre to me that it has been two years since I quit my 9-5 to pursue blogging as a career. I thought it might be fun if I shared a few things I've learned these past twenty-four months, because like most things in life, I think they apply to more than just one kind of person:

Goal setting is powerful. Last year I sat down at the beginning of every month and made a list of ten goals--it was amazing. Just make sure they're SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

You don't have to be working all the time. Give yourself some time to take a breather. This has been my biggest struggle--I always feel like I need to prove myself in some way, which means that I'm often working even when I'm not really working, which is such an annoying thing to say (and do). Everyone's schedules are different, though, and just because a person takes time to really relax one day doesn't mean they don't work hard the other days.

You can do so much more with a little help from others. Just ask. I don't even want to talk about how many things I've probably missed out on because I was afraid to hear "no." 

Your life--your family, relationships, health, and happiness--matter so much more than anything else. When I finished grad school I was in a panic to find a job, and when I got one that I liked, I felt so incredibly lucky. After a while that job didn't feel like such a great fit anymore, and when Rob got the Minneapolis offer I spent so much time worrying about what would happen if I left this company, even though I didn't really love it. 

I wanted so badly for everything to work out in a way that just wasn't possible--in my head, Rob and I could live in Minnesota and I would somehow keep my job (even though they weren't willing to let me work remotely). I felt like I was letting the company down by leaving after just a year, but looking back now I realize that no one was judging me for anything, and that you should never feel bad about living according to your priorities. Blogging for work has given me a lot of freedom in my personal life, and sometimes that makes me feel guilty. It's something I'm still working on.

Just go for it. I think the best things in life tend to be really scary at first. Stretch your comfort zone. Learn to use that camera, pitch that idea at work, go out of your way to make something good happen for yourself.

The other day someone was talking to me about applying for a job they weren't sure they'd get, which was causing them to spend too much time stressing over their resume and it just reminded me that we all have to start somewhere. The majority of what I've learned these past two years happened after I decided to go for it, not before. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and then work your butt off. Don't be afraid to start small--big things can come from anywhere.

And finally, your life doesn't have to look like anyone else's. Simple, but true.

Photo by Sarah Gatrell for Freckled Italian.

We spent Tuesday through Friday morning in Healdsburg, which turns out to be one of the dreamiest places in California. We stayed in an amazing loft above the square and most of our time was spent working on La Crema Farm to Table at Home, a really fun series that I can't wait to start sharing with you all this month. Even though we were busy, we still managed to go out for a really nice meal every night, and of course there was coffee every morning!

Here are some of the places we went:

• Coffee at the Healdsburg Flying Goat location, conveniently across the street from our loft.
• Best burgers ever at Healdsburg Bar & Grill.
• Wine at the La Crema Tasting Room, obviously.
• More coffee at The Healdsburg Shed. So good. That place is gorgeous.
• Fantastic tapas at Bravas. If you go, get the goat cheese toast and some mushrooms (although the paella looked phenomenal as well--everything was good).

We headed back to San Francisco on Friday morning and I had lunch with my friend and colleague from Minted before spending the weekend with some friends from home. San Francisco is so wonderful anytime, but especially when you're escaping the heat of wine country and/or North Carolina in late July.

More food/drink/things we saw:

• Lunch before a tour of the Minted offices at Cotogna.
• A fantastic dinner at Aliment--the Brussels sprouts are out of control.
• A walk around Hayes Valley and some iced coffees from Blue Bottle.
• Took a ferry ride to Sausalito where we ate lunch and then had drinks on the beach at Bar Bocce.
• Back to the city for takeout from Tony's and a park picnic.

See the rest of my California travel posts: here and here.

This post is sponsored by Hebrew National.

When Hebrew National asked me to share a regional side dish or topping for this month's post, my first thought was pimento cheese. Rob and I were (pleasantly) surprised to find pimento cheese everywhere when we moved to Charlotte--on burgers or grilled cheese sandwiches, incorporated into a hot cheese dip with chips (which is delicious, by the way), or even just as a side with crackers. It is truly a Southern staple.

One of the best hot dogs I've ever had was here in North Carolina, and it was topped with pimento cheese and served with some homemade pickles on the side, so of course I had to try to recreate it for this post! I love the combination of hot dog straight from the grill with cold pimento cheese spread that's slowly starting to melt--delicious!

If you can't find it readily anywhere and everywhere like you can down here in North Carolina, it's easy enough to make:

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups mayonaisse
• 1 4-ounce jar of diced pimento, drained
• 1 teaspoon grated onion (or onion powder)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, also shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional, but recommended!)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serve on everything!

* The combination of franks and these toppings may not be Kosher.

What makes a Hebrew National kosher hot dog premium? It's all about what makes the cut (and what doesn't). We're choosy about what goes into our franks--we use only premium cuts of 100% kosher beef from the front half of the cow and then choose the best from that. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers, or by-products. When your hot dog is Kosher, that's a hot dog you can trust! For more summer fun with Hebrew National, visit facebook.com/hebrewnational.