A world of culture in just one building...or, Maine fashion is a croc

Today I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Tonight as I was walking out of my office building (after working out in the gym at the office...yes, my office has its own gym. And I'm not talking some bare bones, one set of weights, one treadmill and a yoga mat hotel type gym, I'm talking machines, weights, a yoga room, balance balls, fitness classes, spin classes, and a real locker room with towel service, etc. I realize I have no excuse now), all I could think was, "I work here. This is real!"

And it's not just the gym. It's the amazing benefits, it's the travel, it's the opportunity to give someone else an amazing opportunity, it's the people. One of the things I was worried about coming back to Maine was that I would miss the worldliness of New York City. Because I remember growing up here and I remember that for many people I knew growing up, going out to see the world meant going on vacation to Cancun.

Sorry, but going to a resort here does not make you a "cultured" person.

Maine drew me back because Maine meant being with my family, being able to own a home, and being able to get to work in less than an hour and a half. One thing I didn't expect to find in Maine was a place where I could talk to someone about the Dominican Republic and they didn't immediately launch into a story about the time they went to Punta Cana on vacation and spent eight straight days drinking and laying on the beach. I didn't expect to find a place where someone would say, "Oh yeah, I have to go to Italy next week," and no one would bat an eye. But I've found all of those things at my job.

I also didn't expect to find a place where people were actually in style. When I lived in New York, people never believed I was from Maine because they said I had too much style to be from Maine. Don't get me wrong, I love Mainers (or Mainiacs as some like to call us), but crocs, jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a fleece vest is not fashion. I'm not saying you need to strut out in two feet of snow wearing a Versace dress, but shoot, at least look like you're not on your way out to work in your garden.

When's the last time you saw these things on a runway?

But the people at my job have style. If you stepped into our office building, you'd think you were in New York City. Women wear heels (I know this isn't anything groundbreaking for anyone who lives in a city, but in Maine, you rarely see women in heels). They wear outfits that actually match. This means I have to stay on top of my fashion game!

Here's today's attempt to keep up (sorry the picture quality sucks, it's what I could get at 7 in the morning when I was already running late):

Move over, Queen Latifah, this big girl has style!

 I'm so excited to work with people who have stepped outside of the little bubble that Maine can get you in. It challenges me to continually learn new things and stay current on style instead of becoming unfashionably complacent. And now that I have a paycheck coming in, I can get back to being the fashionable babe on a budget that I used to be!