This past week was my birthday, and first things first: THANK YOU for all of the birthday love. There were so many messages, comments, texts, and calls which meant so much to me.
I always reflect on life around my birthday. There’s something about another trip around the sun that makes you look at where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re headed. And this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about how easy it is to constantly move the goalpost (which I do a lot).
There are days when I feel like I’m not doing enough, I’m not far enough along, I’m not where I want/should be in life. I should have built more, accomplished more, figured more out. There are still some really big goals I haven’t reached yet.
But then I remind myself: I dreamed about the days I’m living right now.
I own businesses with my best friend, we control our schedule and life, I get to create, and live in a place that I love. We’ve built a life that a younger version of me would be so proud of and think it’s pretty freaking cool.
So, going into 36, I’m trying to hold both things at once: I can be incredibly proud of where I am AND still want more for my life. I’m also letting go of these weird standards that I’ve forced myself to live up to constantly that create more stress around things that bring me happiness.
But trust me, there are some BIG dreams I’m working toward right now.
I’m not quite ready to share all of them yet, but I will say this...
There will be travel involved.
A Very Expensive Labor Day Weekend
My actual birthday was great and filled with a lot of work. 😂 We did plenty of celebrating over the summer, so this week was all about getting Long Draw Pizza ready for Labor Day weekend. And Labor Day turned into a DOOZY.
A very, very expensive doozy.. $$
If you’re reading The Weekly Slice, I’m assuming you’re at least somewhat familiar with Terlingua, but our business out here is extremely seasonal. The summer is really slow which is why most of us close for a month or two. Labor Day is usually one of those weekends that gives us a much-needed boost and helps float us until our busy season really gets going.
Unfortunately, that did not happen this year.
We were rolling on Saturday evening, getting busier by the minute, and excited because this was the weekend we were waiting for.. But, a massive storm cell moved in and rocked our little town of Study Butte (right outside the park, next to Terlingua). It tore down 7-8 power poles (allegedly) and we were done.
Power outages aren’t exactly unusual when you live this remotely, so initially we weren’t too concerned. Usually it’s a couple of hours, sometimes a day during a particularly bad outage.
This one lasted more than 48 hours, in the West Texas summer heat.
Our propane supply started draining, which became another concern because we would lose all of our food at the restaurant. We had to make a call on Sunday about not opening which would put our staff in a very hot restaurant and propane would drain substantially. This was the right call but it still sucked.
And, then BOTH generators at our house stopped working, which meant an unexpected trip to Alpine to buy another one on Sunday.
This outage cost us thousands of dollars. OUCH.
Does it suck? Absolutely. But living and owning businesses out here has taught me that you have to prepare for the unexpected because eventually, the unexpected will happen. It’s also one of the reasons I’m such a big believer in not putting all of your eggs in one basket. I’ve intentionally built multiple streams of income over the years, and weeks like this remind me why. When one business gets hit by something completely outside of your control, having other income coming in matters. I have had times in my life where we lived very broke and I promised myself by God’s grace that I would never live like that again. When things like this happen, the constant hard work and sacrifice pays off.
I’m also VERY grateful I married a prepper. 😂 Andy somehow always has a plan, a backup plan, and probably a backup for the backup. He does everything he can to keep us comfortable when things go sideways out here.
If you’ve been following along on social media, you already know that POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED. 🙌 The house is cool and comfortable, and we all slept like babies.
This reason is also why your Weekly Slice is arriving a day late this week. LOL. I hate excuses but I need my computer to write, upload, and all the things.
Meanwhile, Out on the Ranch...
Before all of the Labor Day chaos, I also got to spend some time with my dad, who has moved out to our place on the ranch. This was our first place before we moved out here full-time and my heart is literally so happy when I’m out there. We’ve had it for sale but a part of me never wanted to sell it so I’m happy he’s enjoying it.
It’s completely off-grid, so it’s been really fun watching him get settled and figuring out a totally different way of living.
Even better, an amazing company recently sent me a product that was PERFECT for using out there, so we got to spend some time shooting content around the property. I can’t share everything quite yet, but if you’re into off-grid living, remote life, or just seeing how people make life work wayyyyy out in the middle of nowhere, I think you’ll like this one.
I’ll share more soon!
Content, Brands & Another Big Goal
I’ve also been working with a couple of really fun brands lately, which still blows my mind sometimes.
One of my big goals for this next year is to sign with an agency.
I’ve spent years building Mundy Out West, learning social media, working with brands, creating content, and figuring things out as I go. I really feel like I’m ready to take this side of my business to another level.
AND...
My Facebook and TikTok is finally making money! Yay!
There are plenty of times when creating content feels like you’re putting an enormous amount of work into something without knowing exactly when (or if) it’s going to pay off.
And then you get one of those little reminders: Keep going, the work compounds.
A Chilly Update 🐾
I know so many of you have been asking about our little Chilly girl, and I’m very happy to report that she’s been doing really well.
We’re still giving her subcutaneous fluids once a day. She’s eating a ton, she’s acting like herself, and she’s still right here by my side. After everything we’ve gone through with her, I don’t take a single normal day for granted.
Thank you to everyone who continues to ask about her and send her love. That tiny dog is my whole world, and seeing her feeling good makes me happier than I can explain.
New From Out West Prints 🌵
Long Draw Prints got a makeover and a new name!
I have some new shirts up at Out West Prints.
I’m loving the new Terlingua, Texas University Tee. It’s that classic collegiate look with a little West Texas spin, and it’s exactly the kind of Terlingua shirt I wanted to wear myself.
Shop the Terlingua, Texas University Tee
Going Into 36...
If this week taught me anything, it’s that life can be incredibly beautiful and incredibly inconvenient at exactly the same time.
I can celebrate another year of life while spending my birthday working. I can be grateful for our restaurant while being frustrated about losing one of our most important weekends. I can celebrate new income streams while watching another one take a hit. I can have huge dreams for the future while being deeply thankful for what I already have.
Maybe that’s what I want 36 to be about: wanting more without missing what I already prayed for.
I’m proud of this life.
I’m proud of what we’ve built.
And I’m really freaking excited about where we’re going next.
Thank you for being here for another year of it.
Here’s to 36. 🤎
And hopefully... fewer 48-hour power outages.
-Your friend in Terlingua,
Mallory