Getting to Know You: Julia A.

Julia Archer, affectionately called ‘Jules,’ is a face integral to Lamppost. Often, she can be found sipping her espresso and enjoying a blueberry scone. Typically sporting some fashionable outfit or glasses, she is known to lift others’ spirits with a kind compliment or lively conversation. Occasionally, she shares her pictures of her recent projects with the staff, ranging from quilting to cross-stitching.

She’s lived in Round Rock almost as long as Lamppost has been around. Having grown up moving every 2-3 years, Jules spent a lot of her childhood in Dallas, Richardson, and Tyler. Her family followed her dad’s business of fixing up houses, but moving so often was difficult on her and she hoped as an adult she’d be more stationary. However, she found she couldn’t avoid it. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in office administration and a teaching certificate in computer science, she was dissatisfied with the teaching role she held. She ended up accepting a job with Electronic Data Systems--and later, General Motors--in Detroit.

Gratefully, Jules loved her time in Detroit, Michigan. The lakes, the snow, and the fir trees all spoke to her and she and her then-husband traveled the state quite a bit. Eventually, she moved to Cincinnati, where she raised her kids and spent some time working retail and food service. Surprisingly, her time as a Starbucks barista was one of her favorite experiences, mainly due to the people she served and the fast pace of it all.

However, she began struggling with mental health. We spent a while talking about her journey finding acceptance and help for her bipolar diagnosis. She struggled coming to terms with it, feeling as if she was missing something. But, that journey led her to Texas where she lived in Tyler for a time with her mother, getting in-patient treatment in Houston. Then, per her doctor’s suggestion during a particularly difficult time, she made the move to Round Rock. She found an apartment with her five cats in order to focus on her treatment there three days a week. As it was nearby, she found herself visiting Lamppost Round Rock pretty consistently.

She immediately was struck by the kindness and warmth of everyone she met there. She felt like she had “an extended family,” which is why she feels Lamppost is her home. Jules' compassion shined through during our conversation. Her genuine self-reflection and heart were evident as she thought back on her past. She had spent so many years ignoring what she needed to hear both personally and in her faith. She says if there was one thing she could tell younger Jules it would be: “Just listen, and you’ll hear it.”

As we wrapped up our time, I congratulated her on her recent move closer to Georgetown. She found a house she fell in love with and is so excited to have a home with her five cats Arwen, Bernadette, Jax, Biscuit, and Bobbo. She also made a point to promise she would still drop by Lamppost.

So, next time you’re in, be sure to ask to see a picture of her fur children--they are precious.

As always, thanks for reading.

The Post xx