Starting Over
Most of you know that I live a semi-nomadic life. It's one that I love dearly, but its one that comes with sacrifice. I have been so lucky to get to live in some pretty amazing places, from Denver to Flagstaff to Minneapolis to Albuquerque, I have had the opportunity to fall in love with some beautiful places. Denver made me fall in love with the mountains, Flagstaff was a chance for me to explore the canyons of the west, in Minneapolis I learned how peaceful and adventurous the lake can be, and now in Albuquerque I am living in my dreams. I literally live in the Land of Enchantment.
As much I love the new adventure, and as much as I love waking up to the mountains, it has been a hard journey for the past six months. Starting with the move. Even when your company packs your things and hauls them halfway across the country it's not easy, especially solo. Don't get me wrong its a huge life adjustment with a family, kids, etc. But when you are working 1,000 miles away from where you are trying to move from it can get complicated. Need to break the lease? Try faxing and calling back and forth with the moving agency and the apartment complex all while trying to hyrail. And then there is finding a new place. I am a pro at finding a place in a weekend, I haven't gone too wrong yet, but still its a whole new level of stress. Then, for me, there is Topanga. I love her, a lot but trying to move a cat from Minnesota to New Mexico is by no means easy. Cue: The best parents ever who willingly take a cat for a couple months. Even that gets complicated (trying to get a cat to Kansas City while living in Minnesota while working in New Mexico). This move I accepted the job in March with a start date on April 1, a load date of May 26, and a Delivery date of June 6. It was a crazy few months. Crazy.
But then the dust settles and the really hard part starts: Starting Over. Theres work and then there isn't work.
Work: Starting over at work is hard. My coworkers in Minnesota were the best. My boss was great and the team that I got to work with was bar none. It was hard to go from a work family that I spent a lot of time with (read: derailments at 2 am on a Saturday) to a new group that I wasn't 100% sure how to deal with. They are great people, just different, and in hindsight it probably took six months to understand my place with my peers. It was an adjustment to work with a new team, to learn everyone strengths and weaknesses. And then there was learning my job. I am no where close to what I want to know, but everyday I learn a little more. I know that I will get there. It just takes time
Not Work: Ugh. Where to start? First there is friends. I am lucky that in ABQ I had a really good high school friend that moved here after college and that was awesome. To have someone to hang out with and talk about work with was imperative for my sanity. Turns out she is a pretty amazing lawyer, she is so talented and caring, but trying to get our schedules to jam is no easy task. And while she is awesome, I would like to meet more than one friend! So this is where I have gotten resourceful. Have you ever asked someone on DM IG to hang out because you think you would make good friends? I have. Have you gone to a knitting club to meet new people? I have (and these people were so cool, best couple hours I have spent in a long time). Have you kept a terrible first dates number because even though you there was mutually no spark you are both Nebraska grads and wouldn't mind hanging out at a trivia night with his work friends in hope to meet more people? I have, and lets be real I would say to watch Huskers games, but they are terrrrrrible so why waste either of our time...
So while my adventure can seem glamorous (and they are pretty amazing), it comes with a lot of hard work, and a little bit of loneliness. I am lucky to have friends that I can call when I am down and out, and a cat that LOVES to see me when I come home after a work trip, but starting over sucks and maybe one of these days I will get to start over with someone. You really don't have to worry about me though (I promise), because I love the life I live even when it sucks. That just makes the good times that much better.
So until I have to start over again I will just enjoy the view from my apartment.
#newmexico #startingover #moving #relationships #work #parents #friends