A Day In The Life: Sarah Aune
Sarah Aune with a client. Photo by Chris Tarbox
Name: Sarah Aune
Age: 33
Where did you grow up? Plymouth, MN.
Where do you live? South Minneapolis.
Who do you live with? My lady friend, Cady; our dog, Kiki; and cat, Adelle.
What is your occupation? Service operations manager for Come, Sit, Stay dog walking company.
When did you come out? To my parents and a couple friends at 15, pretty much to the rest of the world by 18.
How’d that go? At first it was a combination of terrifying, lonely, frustrating, and exciting, with a side of relief. One of most painful and difficult challenges I faced was learning how to process and let go of the misinformed, anti-gay, ignorant, repressive messages I was receiving from the church and greater religious community I grew up around. Later, when going to college, living as openly queer was very empowering and it slowly became a bit easier to live an authentic life without fear of judgment.
When do you wake up? 6-6:30 a.m. weekdays, between 6-9 a.m. on weekends.
Phone alarm or old school alarm? Phone alarm.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Drink coffee and snug the puppy and kitty.
Breakfast? Fried egg, kale, tomatoes, toast, and bacon if I’m lucky. A donut if I’m EXTRA lucky.
Coffee? Definitely. Usually brewed Dunkin or espresso drink. Cold press in summer!
Cream or no? Coconut creamer.
How do you spend your commute? I drive up to 30-some miles a day for my job, and am typically listening to a podcast or singing to music, and trying to tap into my inner peace while driving around the city.
If your job were like a yearbook, what would you be voted? Dog-whispering class clown.
What inspires you? Lovely music and works of creative art, nature, the wisdom and perseverance of humans who have endured struggles and dare to live authentically.
Do you eat your lunch while working or take a break? In the car on the go or in front of a computer on most busy days, sometimes I take a break if there’s time.
Is your work space tidy or a hot mess? A little bit of both at times.
What’s been your favorite job? Being a dog walker/manager for dog walking company.
Who are your heroes? Amy Sedaris, my parents, my dog Kiki, Maria Bamford.
Favorite weeknight meal: Go out, take out, or cook in? Cook in: dumpling miso soup or pasta with wine and salad.
Most embarrassing moment: Wetting my pants on the gym floor at the YMCA as a very small kid.
On a usual weeknight, you are doing what? Some nights I’d likely be cooking dinner or going out with pals for a beer, jogging my dog, being squirrely with the lady friend at home, dancing to loud music and playing with the cat and puppy, or Netflixing. Other nights I’d be volunteering in the kitchen at Open Arms of Minnesota or at a mandolin lesson at the Homestead Pickin’ Parlor.
Bedtime: Anytime between 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Favorite weekend activity: Dog play dates and soul/vinyl dance party nights.
What are you most proud of and why? I’m most proud of the work I’ve done in the way of self-acceptance, personal growth, and maintaining friendships and relationships that make up a community of good-hearted, fun, intelligent, and incredibly genuine folks. This makes life for me.
Words of wisdom to share: I am learning that keeping a curious attitude about everything helps in having more contentment, hope, and enjoyment in life.
