Stories of a Southern Gypsy

Summer: a time to enjoy BBQ's, pool parties and hot summer nights. And for the world of Vivint, it also means crunch time! It means time to move, time to explore a new town and meet new friends, and a time to support your husband as he sets out to hit his own personal goals and be successful for your family. What a amazing time of year!

For us, it means time to head to the south. My husband Jarom and I have been married just over a year, and this is our third summer Vivint-ing. ;) (Summer one was dating, summer two was right after our honeymoon, and now summer three is one year into marriage!)

The south is completely different than any other place I've been to. Southern hospitality and fried fish is a way of life here. This year we are in Alabama, and last year was spent in Mississippi. Due to licensing craziness, we've been staying in extended-stay hotels until we are cleared to sell in Alabama.

For the first several weeks of the summer, I was the only wife out here. This made me realize a few things: First, men really do need their woman in their life! I was surprised to see how much the guys latched onto me those first few weeks to ask me for advice, help with a task or simply just to borrow kitchen utensils they forgot to bring. :) I also realized how much I missed the other wives! Being together with your friends while the men are away had truly created some of the best friendships I've ever had, and I realized that Elevate is such an amazing program to help the women of Vivint feel loved and needed. I made a goal to maximize my time with them once we were together to make sure we continued that friendship. I couldn't wait till I was with my girls!

In other news, moving 5 times in the first month made me realize we have a promising future as professional car-packer-uppers.

As most of you have probably felt at some point, there are times that I have my doubts about the summer. It's hard to have your man gone all day! But then I remind myself that we are truly blessed to be a part of this experience together. What other way could you live in different parts of the country that you've never been to, and explore the hidden gems in each town? Vivint has created a way for Jarom and I to see and explore some of the most beautiful parts of the country that I probably wouldn't have ever traveled to, had we not been a part of Vivint.

I haven't been doing this as long as some other families, but these 5 tips are things that have helped our summers go smoothly.

1- Get involved with the team. Make friends with not only the wives but also the reps and techs! They are your family for the next four months, and it will be so much more fun if you're close to those who are out there with you. You're all in this together!

2- Stay organized. (Easier said than done, right?) I've noticed that the mornings I get up, make the bed, start breakfast, and get going on my day seem to go so much smoother! Having a plan and a clean apartment are golden :)

3- Immerse yourself in the culture of your town! Look up the local events, historic sites, and plan a day with the girls to go see them. This could mean a picnic in a park, a day at the zoo, or catching a local ball game. Whatever it is, have fun with it! You won't be here long. :)

4- Start the day with your toughest task first. Between working full time remotely with my job back in Utah and sharing the Office Assistant duties with one other wife, my mornings are jam packed. I've noticed that when I tackle the tasks that I naturally want to put off because they're difficult or inconvenient makes the test of my "to do" list a breeze.

5- Remember how much of a blessing you are to your husband for being there to support him. Keep being his positive cheerleader- he needs it more than you know!

Book Club is all the buzz... Teams everywhere are finding new motivation to make improvements.

Katie Taggert's 'How To Have a Successful Summer'

How to have a successful summer A brief background on me. My husband and I met 3 weeks before he left for the summer and were married 2 months before the next one. This will be our 4th summer together...All I really know is summer sales. I wish I could show you a video of my past 3 summers as a "what not to do", BUT they have given me insight (as I'm sure most vet wives have experienced) on how make each summer a success for yourself, your husband, your kids and your marriage. I want to share those lessons learned from my own mistakes. My first summer (2 months of marriage under my belt) I would wait up every night for my husband to get home with a yummy dinner freshly made. He would walk through the door and be exhausted, only wanting to eat relax then sleep. I would get so angry because I had been waiting for him all day and hadn't had a real conversation with any other human so I was all revved up to talk... where as he had been speaking to strangers ALL day. I hated how angry I would get and decided that I needed to just be asleep when he got home so I wouldn't be so mean. Everyone has a different marital schedule that works for them in the summers and some late nights just going to bed helps me. Typically you get your family time in the mornings so make those count. Figure out what works for you and set those expectations. If you both know what each other needs and expects there will be a happy vibe in the home and you can focus on other things that matter more than focusing on your husband being gone for so long. Get to know the other wives they will be your greatest support! That first summer I had, maybe 7, amazing wives out there with me. They all had 2+ children so being young and a newlywed I didn't feel like I could connect with them at first. I had also gotten knee surgery and a dog (hello potty training up and down stairs with crutches). So near the end of the summer I really started relying on those friendships. Those women helped me so much and I wish I spent more time with them developing relationships and learning from them! My second summer I had 3 other wives in the same situation as me. Newly married no children. We were young and had all the free time in the world, we became great friends but didn't take advantage of the beautiful place we were living as well as we could have. So make friends and relationships but be sure you are challenging each other to get out and be productive, have fun!! My third summer I was pregnant but this time I finally had a job! This was by far my favorite summer. I was making money for myself, and once again I had wives in my same situation (pregnant). The job made me feel so much more productive. It was something I could be good at and have success. (where the summers before all my energy was spent on my husbands success and his alone) If you are able, I would highly recommend having a job or a hobby that brings you joy and makes YOU feel successful and be productive. Go to the gym!!! Most gyms have child care so no excuses. Go to the gym. If anything it will make you feel better and get you out of your apartment! You may know all of these things so the question becomes 'HOW!?' Begin with goals. What do YOU want your summer to look like. Then have a way of tracking your goals. Write what your successful summer would look like and put it in a place where you can see it (like a dream board). Everyones definition of success is different so write down what will make you happy. Living a balanced life is key. Create time and energy to invest in yourself physically, spiritually, mentally, socially etc. For You: Create your "perfect summer" , make goals and take the steps necessary to make it happen Make friends with ALL the wives, don't isolate yourself and don't exclude anyone Get out and see your area Read and expand your mind Go to the gym Get a job if you have the time For Your Husband: Be happy and positive for him Push him how HE needs to be pushed Be supportive of all the work he does .He is working for YOU its a way of him showing love, recognize his work and tell him you appreciate it. For Your Marriage: Establish a system and schedule for both of you to have uninterrupted time not focused on work! Make sunday a great day to develop your relationship and do things you enjoy. For Your Kids:
Based on of the amazing wives I got to observe my first summer... success for your kids is PLAY IMAGINATION EXPLORATION! These moms not only let their kids fully embrace the love of a swimming pool but they also got them involved in site specific learning as well. They found museums and interesting places to take their kids during the day so they and their kids could take advantage of the city they lived in. All in all summers can be challenging, they can also be an amazing time for change and growth. When you have success, your husband will have success. ...And when that happens, everyone is happy. I hope you can learn from my mistakes. Each year I learn more and more about how to be more successful and bottom line is taking care of yourself. Don't forget about YOU!!!