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The things that get me through twelve-hour night shifts while I'm quietly rebuilding a life I never planned.
If you had told me a year ago that I’d be spending my nights caring for strangers while writing blog posts between call lights and client wake-ups, I don’t think I would have believed you.
Earlier this year I poured everything I had into trying to build an online business. I was so determined to make it work that I forgot something important: dreams still need to pay the bills.
After losing my husband, becoming a widowed mom of four, and enrolling in a debt relief program, I had to make a decision that felt like admitting defeat.
I went back to work. Not because I gave up on my dream. Because my dream deserved a stronger foundation. So now, several nights a week, I pack my bags, kiss my kids goodbye, and head out for another twelve-hour overnight caregiving shift.
Some nights are quiet. Some nights I don’t sit down until sunrise. And somewhere between helping someone to the bathroom at 2:13 a.m., eating raw carrots at midnight, and documenting, you’ll usually find me opening my laptop to write another paragraph for Sovereign Becoming.
It isn’t glamorous. It’s slow. It’s ordinary. And somehow, I think that’s exactly why it matters. One promise I’ve made to myself is that this blog will never become a collection of products I found on the internet five minutes ago.
If I recommend something, it’s because it’s been in my own hands. I’ve spilled coffee on it. I’ve packed it for dozens of shifts. I’ve trusted it enough to buy it with money I couldn’t afford to waste. Right now, most of my recommendations probably look a lot like my Amazon order history.
For a while I worried that wasn’t exciting enough. Shouldn’t bloggers have expensive brands? Beautiful flat lays? Perfectly curated collections?
But this season has taught me something. People don’t need another perfectly curated life.
They need permission to believe that the ordinary life they’re living right now still counts.
So today, I’m opening up my caregiving work bag. Not because the things inside are revolutionary.
But because they’ve quietly carried me through grief, rebuilding, twelve-hour shifts, and the small dream I’m still stubborn enough to believe in.
If the cooler bag keeps me fed, the tote keeps me prepared. Inside, you’ll almost always find an extra pair of scrubs. I rely on my favorite scrub cargo scrub pants paired with a matching V-neck scrub top and a lightweight zip-up jacket. I’ve learned that being comfortable matters when you’re working all night, especially when you never know what the shift will bring.
My Mobile Office
One of the unexpected gifts of overnight caregiving is that on nights when my clients are resting peacefully, I have quiet moments to work on Sovereign Becoming. So, my laptop comes with me every shift, along with a charger, wireless mouse, mouse pad, and phone charger. Every blog post you read here has probably been worked on during the quiet hours of the night, one paragraph at a time.
Related Reading: The Wide Toe Shoes That Helped My Feet Hurt Less →
My Notebook Collection
I’m still old-fashioned enough to love writing things down. Since ideas show up at strange hours, my bag is never without notebooks, purple erasable pens, highlighters, and pencils. I’ve learned to capture ideas before they disappear.
The Books I'm Reading
My Morning Refresh Kit
Why I Recommend These Products
If you’ve been around Sovereign Becoming for very long, you’ll notice that I don’t write product roundups filled with things I’ve never touched. I don’t recommend gadgets because they’re trending. I recommend the things that have earned a permanent place in my everyday life. Most of them cost less than $40. The sunscreen is the exception, as I’m perfectly happy spending a little more on skincare. Everything else? It’s practical, affordable, well-used, and a little worn around the edges. Kind of like me these days.
Building a Dream Between Shifts
I don’t know exactly where this blog will lead.
Maybe one day I’ll work with brands I genuinely love.
Maybe I’ll publish books.
Maybe Sovereign Becoming will grow into something that helps support my family.
Or maybe years from now I’ll look back and realize this season was never about any of those things.
Maybe it was about becoming the kind of woman who kept showing up anyway.
Every overnight shift pays another bill.
Every blog post plants another seed.
Every Pinterest pin, every paragraph, every Amazon link is another small act of faith that slow, honest work matters.
So if you’re reading this while you’re rebuilding too—working a job that isn’t your forever, carrying grief, paying off debt, raising kids, or chasing a dream during the tiny pockets of time life leaves you—I hope this encourages you.
You don’t have to wait until your life looks beautiful to begin building something beautiful.
Sometimes the dream starts in a work bag.
One shift at a time.
With gratitude,
Be gentle with yourself, stay curious, and keep becoming.
Jerica
Founder of Sovereign Becoming
