This summer season hit differently this year. If I'm honest, this last year has been very different compared to years past. I turned 40 - but not before I caught Pneumonia for the first time, and it knocked me on my butt.

That led into a season of fight or flight that I'm still in the thick of, but nearing the end of... but one thing is for sure, this was the first summer in a while that my kiddos were home with me and we weren't on the road for day camps, sports camps or anything.

That was lovely.

But it also was the first summer of us hiring out home reno projects due to lack of time and capacity - so it meant a lot more overstimulation for me as I was navigating my "attempts" at a routine, kid needs, dogs barking and power tools/heavy equipment on my property, all while trying to deliver client work that was paying the bills but draining my soul.

To be honest, this is the part of creative work that no one likes to talk about - but since October 2024, this has been the hardest season for me. Not just in my work, but in figuring out who I actually am as a creator.

There have been many tears. A lot of overwhelm. Questioning my own purpose.

It. Has. Been. Hard.

The Question I Kept Avoiding

Now that I'm on the final countdown to return to school - we have our Labour Day weekend this weekend - I'm realizing that I'm about to hit the last month before, what I hope will be a major reset not only personally but professionally.

In these moments of questioning, I have been taking a closer look at the work I do - how I do it, the opportunities that have arisen, and where I need to take them.

And the truth I kept bumping up against?

I was doing work that paid well but wasn't feeding my soul.

I was building websites and automations for other people while my own writing & fiction novel sat untouched. I was solving technical problems for clients while my recipe testing got pushed to weekends. I was being really good at something that was making me really miserable.

Humbled is a word I have used often this year.

The Real Grit No One Posts About

Now, you might be saying, "Wow, this is so different from the other posts - really dark in fact."

To be truthful, yes, it is.

However, I wanted to share this today because not everything about choosing the creative path is for the faint of heart. Especially if you are working from home, trying to raise kids, being intentional with your partner, and all the while maintaining a sense of health and balance.

In all of these areas, I have been humbled this year - it's been a growth year as I approach year 7 in business, and I have always believed in the cyclical nature of things.

But the key difference is that this cycle is coming to a close.

What has worked in the past - trading my time and technical skills for money - is no longer effective. So I need to take this time to let that breathe and come up with a new next step. Not only to break cycles, but also to emerge from this season with a wealth of lessons and opportunities so that I can find my joy again.

And my joy? It's always been in the kitchen. In writing. In creating content that helps people live better lives.

But It Hasn't Been All Bad

Now, has the last year been all bad? Hell, no!

I have met some fantastic people and formed amazing partnerships. In the last year, I have been published in two co-authored cookbooks, with one more to come, as well as a co-authored entrepreneur book.

Those cookbook projects? Those were the bright spots. The reminders of what I'm actually meant to be doing.

What has been brought to my attention is that the hustle of the last 5-6 years has come to an end. It's time to examine the time I spend and its impact.

I have hired the coaches - the experts, and now it's time to implement. Now, as a habitual learner, that's a hard one to do - but this is the start of that.

As my kids return to school (I have a Senior in High School and a 4th grader - yikes!), it's time for me to graduate and apply the skills I've learned, rather than just learn about them.

Walking the Walk

This long-winded, personal blog aside - I'm excited for what is next, grateful for what has been... but it's time to put my big girl boots on and walk the walk... not just talk about it.

As I approach the last bit of 2025, I have set my goals. Worked with my experts to work on my milestones... I'm starting to lay the groundwork to build up the dream that I have been working on these last 6 years.

The Rural Kitchen. My cookbook work. Content that actually feels like me.

I'm excited. It's a new season. A new cycle.

Let's f**king go!

UPDATE - February 2026:

Looking back at this post now - just six months later - I can see I was standing at a crossroads I didn't fully understand yet. I wrote this in September 2025, right before everything shifted.

That "major reset" I hoped for? It's happening. Not perfectly, but it's happening.

The last six months have been about letting go - of client work that didn't serve me, of the identity I'd built around being "good at tech," of the safety net that was slowly suffocating my creativity.

I've leaned fully into The Rural Kitchen. Launched my Heirloom Cookbook service. Started focusing on honest product testing and real Canadian kitchen content. Wrote the cereal box blog post that captured the 2025 journey.

Was it scary? Still is some days. Was it worth it? Every single tear.

If you're in your own crossroads season right now - questioning what you're doing, feeling the pull toward something more aligned - I see you. And I promise: the discomfort of staying where you don't belong eventually outweighs the fear of choosing yourself.

Until the next post

~ Cass