duck, duck, laura?

I’m Laura and I am the Odd Duck.

Or rather, I’m the Odd Duck some days, in some ways. Other days I still clutch to the process of Becoming The Odd Duck. I feel like my life will always teeter between these two states.

So, who is this Odd Duck? Well, this little blog began in 2009 when I was completely lost in life. I had graduated college two years prior with degrees in Finance and Economics. I was working in Corporate Finance and was essentially a spreadsheet monkey who stared at a computer 9 hours a day. I was unhappy, stressed, struggling with my weight and looking for my life to change in a big way.

Changing my state of life wasn’t easy for me. I was stuck trying to be like everyone else, shoving my unique personality and quirks as far away as I could. I definitely grew up as an Odd Duck but I spent my entire life fighting the label. I thought that hiding my true self to fit into the masses would make people like me more. But it didn’t matter how other’s felt about me because I felt so poorly about myself.

Starting this blog helped me embrace my true self. I began to blog about my passions for cooking, food and fitness, as well as losing weight and my journey on Spark People. I met fellow bloggers and readers who had similar interests, which fueled my passions even more. However, my career did not align with my passions and I realized my career ambition and my happiness would always compete.

A few months after starting this blog, I had the courage to make the ultimate life changing decision – to leave my corporate finance career and go back to school to become a Registered Dietitian. The decision to become a RD has been the ultimate turning point in my journey as the Odd Duck because I’ve discovered that happiness is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle. Without happiness, what is the purpose of your life?

I finished my bachelors in Nutrition in May 2012 and started my dietetic internship at Baylor University Medical Center in August 2012. I’ll be finished in June 2013 and then I’ll be eligible to sit for the RD exam and find my first RD job! I’m still convinced I’m going to earn a Master’s degree, though when that will be who knows. All that matters right now is I have found the perfect way to be happy – to combine my passions with my work. That, my friends, is a healthy lifestyle.

Join me as I explore my passions on this blog. You can expect healthy recipes, fitness, home renovations and my weight loss journey. You’ll also get a peek into my daily life as a happy and healthy 20 something pursuing my passions as a career.

Back to the original question – the Odd Duck is:

ambitious.
dedicated.
a red sox fan.
loyal.
a perfectionist.
detail oriented.
a runner.
organized chaos.
a future RD.
driven.
brutally honest.
in love.
type A.
a wanna-be chef.
independent.
a sparker.
a business school grad.
obsessed with tea.
a leader.
living a healthy lifestyle.

HAPPY

…. striving to be something that no one else is. the best version of myself.

Have you become your own best version of the Odd Duck?