This all started with Loose Change, Dan’s
desire to move south and my need to process what that meant. I’m now at the end
of this journey. Not quite where I had planned, “a sunset viewing from Mallory
Square in Key West”, but close enough. At the time I said, “My inertia comes
from other places that I need to explore. Extended family, a multitude of
friends, community and neighborhood, a great job, a house I love and a feeling
of stability I'm afraid to uproot.”
I know now that wasn’t true. I lacked (we
both lacked) the catalyst required to make a big change. For my 17 loyal
readers you know that the catalyst triggered over a year ago when my 15-year
position ended with my employer in Milwaukee. We were faced with a choice – find
suitable replacement income in the area, or move. Dan and I chose to move,
because if not then, when?
Was it easy? No. We went insane for a while,
dramatically downsizing (but in hindsight, not quite enough). Internet searches
found us a rental that would take a big dog and landed us in a 624-square-foot
house. And can I just say that people who want to live in a tiny house are
bat-shit crazy.
It’s been a wild, scary, lonely, and
exhilarating year. We found a new home in a community that we love. I’ve found
a terrific job doing work that energizes me. We’ve both met new people and are
starting to add to our collection of friends (there’s always room for more).
And we are settling in to our new home, our new environment and the
consequences of our decision to move.
Did we lose things along the way? Yes, proximity
to family and friends, familiar routines, faces and places, and the comfort of
knowing every street and landmark. Have we gained things? Again, yes. Dan is
finally warm year-round, we know we can meet any challenge and we’ve found out
that our children are our biggest role models and cheerleaders. (Shout-out to
Carl and Hunter for great advice along the way!)
So here we are, just a 428-mile drive from
Mallory Square, in a very lovely community. We have great neighbors, we found a
welcoming coven of liberal thinkers and we enjoy the lifestyle of year-round
warm. I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with cousins who’ve included us in
family gatherings even though we were quite distant before we landed here in
Florida, and for that we are both grateful.
Change is hard. Big change is really hard.
But it can be done, even if all you start with is loose change.
Songs that Resonate:
Photograph - Nickelback (for Carl and Hunter)
100 Years - Five for Fighting
