What owning a home-based bakery gave back to me…

When I closed the doors to my retail bakery, more than a few people treated it like a funeral. “What happened?” “Are you okay?” “Did it not work out?”
Here’s the thing—it did work out. I just decided to stop sacrificing my health, time, and sanity to prove it.

Shifting to a home-based bakery wasn’t a backup plan. It was an intentional, overdue upgrade. I have always known when the end of the lease was coming. Based on the lease terms, I had to let my landlord know if I was renewing or terminating, every two years for ten years (after the initial lease ran out, he put this one in place because I was a good tenant). When I renewed in 2022, for the 2022-2024 years, I instantly regretted it. I had my chance to get out and I didn’t take it. So, I trudged through the final two years, and it probably showed on my face. It definitely showed on my body.

The thing is, I was never the kind of person who thought you had to be ONE thing for the rest of your life. For ten years, I was a teacher for children with special needs. It was never in my plans to retire in that profession. As a child, I had a list of jobs and professions that I wanted to do, and I didn’t want to be labeled as anything for the rest of my life. “She’s a teacher.” “She’s a baker.” “She owns a business.” “She’s a dancer.” “She’s a ninja (I’m too old for that one now).”

But SO MANY people think making choices leads to failure. What if I choose wrong? I never understood this thinking, because even if you choose wrong (hello, my life is full of wrong choices- like marriage), there’s always another decision right behind the one you just made. So choose again and see what happens. Isn’t that the adventure of life anyway?

I made the choice to end the lease and not renew again. The relief I felt when that decision was done was immense. By the way, I flip flopped over it for a YEAR- because I didn’t want to disappoint my customers. I was literally willing to continue down this stressful, body deteriorating path just so my customers could walk into a bakery and pick anything they wanted, despite the fact it was killing me physically.

I thought FOR SURE there’s someone else out there who can start a GF or a nut free or an allergen free bakery, and I was right. There is another dedicated facility not far from my home. Will you look at that? The world kept on turning.

Now I get to bake on my terms, go for a walk and watch the birds in my backyard, take actual lunches (with a fork!), lift weights again, and make space for rest—something my autoimmune issues desperately needed.
I see my friends. I do stuff outside. I have a garden. I spend more than 3 seconds in downward dog every day, because I have the time. I’m not constantly in recovery from burnout.

And no, I don’t miss mopping floors and covering shifts and a leaky roof that the landlord never fully fixed. I got my life back while keeping this little job that brings me so much joy. I certainly never viewed it as a failure, just the next step in my favorite adventure- my life.