Tag Archive | Moving to California

Life Transitions

Feb14

My blog! My blog! I had forgotten about my blog! That is until this morning when a kind soul stumbled upon it and decided to follow me. Getting a notice that I have a new follower has spurred me into action. My blog! How could I have forgotten you?

transitions

Life transitions. I haven’t written a blog post since last May. And, oh my, how my life has changed since then. Here are some highlights. Perhaps some of them are worthy of a blog post or two on their own.

* Sold the house, retired, and drove across the country from Pennsylvania to California.
* Lived temporarily with a relative and her family for 7 weeks.
* Moved into the new home, which is basically half of the size of the prior home (if you count the basement).
* Traveled to Eastern Europe.
* Traded in the Ford Focus (only 2 years old) on a new Honda CR-V.
* Reverting back to Protestantism from Catholicism.
* And finally, adjusting to the new life.

Life transitions. They are as natural as the changing seasons. Some transitions are more easily managed than others. And some transitions are an opportunity for a fresh start in life.

I guess I realize I am at a juncture now. I have decisions to make about how I am going to move forward in life. I want to try new things, meet new people, travel, and experience things I have only up to now dreamed about. I wonder where my journey is going to take me next.

Life transitions. They can shake you and bring you to rediscover your core identity. I think that is happening to me. Moving back to California has put me back in touch with my roots…back in touch with my family and the familiar area where I grew up. Distant memories from childhood come flooding back. I question if who I became when I lived elsewhere is the same person I would have been if I had never moved. And who is the person I want to be? Now is the time to explore, brainstorm, consider the make-over before my life begins to naturally solidify into new patterns.

Writing this blog is a step towards becoming who I want to be in this stage of my life. I welcome you to come along for the ride.

Moving Home to California to Retire

May27

Blogs should have a theme and should be posted on a regular basis. This is common knowledge. This is what I have not been practicing. I don’t know how to come up with a topical theme. If I write at all, it will be about whatever pops into my mind. I’m not looking for hundreds of followers. So if you happen upon my blog in your searching, I welcome you and hope you find entertaining reading. I hope you’ll come back and see if I have posted something new, but I won’t guarantee that I have.

I follow a blog that I really enjoy. The writer lives in London and she posts every (well, most) Sunday. I eagerly look forward to her blog. She is someone who is in the midst of a life change…changing where she lives and looking for new employment.

I suppose in a way I am like her in my current stage of life. I haven’t moved yet, but the house is up for sale and when the move is complete, I will be heading home to California. I’m living in a beautiful area of the East Coast right now. But it’s not home. I miss my family and the sunshine and the ocean. I do not miss the smog and the crowded freeways and the earthquakes. But home is home and that’s where my heart is.

I’m also going to retire when I move. That’s a big change. I’ve been looking forward to not having to get up and go to work everyday. But suddenly today, on Memorial Day 2013 when I’m home from work, I realize that there is a good possibility that I could find myself with SO much time on my hands that I could become….BORED! Oh, I’ve read so much about making sure you have hobbies and interests to keep you busy when you retire. You have to have a plan about how you are going to spend your time. And I’ve nodded and thought to myself  “Sure, that’s not going to be a problem for me. I have plenty of things that will keep me busy!” But today, I started to question if that is really true. I guess I’m going to have to come up with some goals and schedules.

Another big change is that this will be a big downsize. Currently, the house is around 2600 square feet. In this area of the country, it’s a medium-sized house. And with .75 acres there is a lot of wildlife and trees to enjoy. I love watching the birds and the squirrels and the rabbits. We have mockingbirds here that I particularly enjoy. They are so precocious and have a beautiful song. I am trying to really savor and enjoy everything about living in my little secluded hideaway here. But I will have no regrets when it is time to move. I eagerly look forward to my new life in California.

I’m going to have much more to write about this whole experience. So if you are interested, check back.