Blowing Up My Life

Captain Aimee Maychack, a title and experience that brings me so much pride.

On the Edge of Change: Blowing Up My Life (in a Controlled Way)

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m making some big changes in my life. I’ve given notice at work, ending a 24-year career in emergency services. My house is for sale, and come July, I’ll be leaving Indiana—for good.

I’ve been joking that I’m “blowing up my life in a very controlled way.” But really, it’s more than that. It’s a deliberate, soul-deep shift. It’s about choosing possibility over predictability.

When I share my plan, people respond with everything from wide-eyed concern to full-throated cheerleading. I get it—it’s a big leap. In a world full of uncertainty, why introduce more? But to me, this isn’t impulsive—it’s long overdue.

This post isn’t meant to explain myself. It’s about what’s possible when you give yourself permission to change.

A Career in Service—and a Shift in Purpose

I’ve been in the helping profession for nearly 30 years. Before I became a firefighter/paramedic, I was a chemical dependency counselor at a 90-day residential program for women. I joined the fire service after 9/11 and never looked back. I’ve delivered babies. I’ve held space for unspeakable loss. I’ve served as an educator, grant writer, civilian paramedic in the Air Force, captain, and most recently, a flight paramedic.

For a long time, I thought I’d retire in emergency medicine. But things changed. And more importantly—I changed.

We all know how the healthcare system has shifted. And we’ve seen how the cultural tide has turned—especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. But this story isn’t just about the system. It’s about waking up one day and realizing: I no longer want to be part of this.

I don’t want to work in a system that prioritizes profit over people. I don’t want to endure jokes about my pronouns. I don’t want to exist as someone else’s punchline.

Stepping into My Own Creativity

Over the past few years, another part of me began to surface—my identity as an artist and entrepreneur.

At first, it was slow. I applied for residencies, juried shows, solo exhibitions—and got rejected more times than I can count. But I kept going. Eventually, things began to click.

Now, I’ve shown in juried exhibitions, taught classes, hosted pop-up shops, sold my work across the country, and had a piece accepted into a university’s permanent collection. I’ve learned and evolved, mostly self-taught—gathering knowledge from other artists, working the presses at Tribune Showprint, experimenting with technique and intuition.

I also taught myself the Adobe Creative Suite to work as a freelance graphic designer. I started small, offered deep discounts, and built a portfolio in branding, web design, and social media. Today, I have a growing client base and a whole new creative outlet—one where I take ideas and transform them into something visual, tangible, and impactful.

It’s exciting. It’s rewarding. And for the first time, it’s mine.

Choosing Myself

The biggest shift in all of this? For the first time in my 48 years, I am doing something just for me.

Every move before this—whether career-related or geographic—was done for someone else or as a logical “next step.” But I’ve finally asked myself, What do I want my life to look like? And more importantly, I’ve answered.

That answer started with coming out as non-binary and getting top surgery. It’s grown into a larger truth: deciding to live authentically, even when it’s terrifying, is worth it.

The world rewards conformity. It’s easier to stay in the relationships, jobs, living situations—and even bodies—that don’t fit. But that ease comes at the cost of authenticity. And that’s a tragedy.

Change is hard. It was for me. I remember years ago, standing in the garage smoking with my brother, nervously asking, “Who will I be on the other side of this? Will I like that person?” I wasn’t sure.

But every big change—leaving toxic relationships, joining the fire service, going to therapy—has given me a fuller, truer life.

The Possibility of What’s Next

This next chapter won’t be easy. I’m a self-proclaimed “stress monkey,” and I know there will be sleepless nights and anxious mornings. But I’m doing it anyway.

Because on the other side of change is growth. New experiences. New stories. New ways of being in the world.

If you're standing at your own crossroads, wondering whether to leap, let me just say: it’s possible. Even if it’s scary. Even if you don’t have all the answers.

Go forth. Do the thing. Be adventurous. Live the life you want—fully and unapologetically.

You deserve it.