Ashley Knecht

Handed a pink slip, and forced to make a go of it by relocating and starting over in Olympia, WA. Bye-bye big city, HELLO mental breakdown!

Clarification needed...

There are NO Olympic hopefuls to be found on this here blog of mine. I know I know, ‘The Accidental Olympian’ just screams OLYMPIC GAMES, but the only medal I’m currently interested in winning would be the gold in the ‘Smart Ass’ category. I don’t know, maybe I could branch out and try for a medal in ‘Sitting Around With A Cocktail Watching Bad TV Feeling Guilty That I Am Wasting My English Degree Because I Haven’t Read A Damn Book In Weeks’ category. But I think I need more practice before I go for the gold, because ultimately I want my mamma to be proud.

So what’s this site actually about? ME. Novel right?

In all actuality I’m just a girl who arrived on the internet as a way to cope with the loss of my job in December 2008 and subsequent forced relocation from city life in Seattle to small-er town life in Olympia, WA. The sort of person who planned my life out when I was 8, it was a bit of a bumpy ride rethinking my life after unemployment, but seeing as I lost my job in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, it wasn't like I had a wealth of options. Change was gut wrenchingly hard, but inevitable.

A Seattle, WA resident for about 5 and a 1/2 years, unemployment forced me to relocated to Olympia, WA (get the ‘Olympian’ tie in yet?) with my boyfriend in hopes I could become a big fish in a much smaller pond. Before I knew it I was shipping out, shacking up with my boyfriend, becoming a home owner, getting a dog, and starting over. Oh yeah, and throw in a sobbing, drunken mental break down here and there and you've got my new life.

Regarding this here blog, I was advised by my boyfriend to start a blog about my unemployment the WEEKEND I lost my job. Seeing as the wound was a tad bit fresh, I needed to find a way to come to terms with my new life before I could go out and share it with others. Not surprising, but there is a whole-latta shame wrapped up in losing your job at first. Eventually shame turns to acceptance, but at first it's just a shit ton of shame.

Eventually I accepted that this was my life, unemployed, starting over, and I need to be ok with whatever that meant. Once I got to that happier place, The Accidental Olympian was born. Once I managed to find work again, after six FRUSTRATING months of searching, the blog moved more towards just being about life. Whatever that even really means...

I started this blog mostly to share myself with other people who had found their lives shattered in this economy. And now I'm just sharing my life with anyone, and maybe someday, EVERYONE. Come on, a girl can dream.

Jump into my archives and read about the bad times, how finally there were some amazingly good times, and maybe even stay tuned for more mishaps and nonsense.

Trust me, there will be a lot of nonsense.

Enjoy. Stay awhile.