Life is a Highway

I know I owe an update to a lot of people. But please try to understand how busy and distracted I have been in my last week. So now that we all agree I'm forgiven, I shall proceed :)

The transition to Richmond has been...seamless. It's odd really, that I feel as though I have just slipped into a new routine, a new belonging, a new way of living and it doesn't phase me. Perhaps this speaks to my high apptitude for adaptibility...or more likely, that it just hasn't hit me yet. But I actually think that I can liken this feeling to the traffic patterns that I have expereinced in my week of commuting 12 miles each way. Every morning at 8:15 when I hit I-95 North to the Parham exit (pronouned Pear-am, NOT Par-ham...very important distinction I have learned, btw), there is no traffic. I keep driving, accelerating, and waiting for the inevitable block in the channel. But I don't hit it. I've been so conditioned by my previous life experience that the road block is coming, there is an inevitable barrier around every turn, but not here. No traffic. Ever. And even if there is...I can take a side road, and still move. It makes NO SENSE. It has quite literally redefined everything that I know about commuting.

Now is this a greater metaphor for my life? Probably not, it's most likely attributed to living in a city with better infrastructure and a mere fraction of the population, but it's a fun parallel to draw given this pretty significant life change. What if this is the end to my roadblocks, and there's nothing but clear highway ahead upon which I can continue to accelerate? A life where Mickey and I really can just roll the windows down, turn the music up and just cruise along... of course at a very safe speed and with our seatbelts on because otherwise he would be far too scared. I'm willing to entertain the idea given that I just sat in a whoping 7 hours of cluster truck traffic overnight on I-285 (which actually happened, little known fact). No more Saturday afternoon spin outs while racing on the freeway.

Ok enough, of the intersate allegories...and onto the facts. My first week in Richmond has been pretty good. I've reconnected with some old friends, I've tried some new activities (such as taking yoga classes), I've pushed myself to make some new friends (had my first happy hour- $12 tab for 2, not bad!), found a new dog park, walked to some restaurants, and already feel more accomplished in my new job than I did in a year and a half in my old one. I'm in the process of responding to my first RFP, I have about 5 trips in the next 3 weeks, and my own intern at my beck and call :) All in all, I don't have much to complain about right now. Which is good given that I took a chance and moved my whole life in a small U-haul truck and my Hatchback for this opportunity. I feel reaffirmed, I feel confident. And this is all I really hoped for out of this experience. Even if for some odd reason I only get this week, it was totally worth it.

I won't go as far as to say that I feel complete, or whole again, but man do I feel hopeful that maybe there's a chance I can get there someday. And hopefully I will be the better for going after something that I really wanted and having it turn out to be as great as I knew it could be. I overcame a lot of fears, a lot of traffic to get to where I am right here, right now. So now, if you don't mind, it's time to put on my classiest shades and roll down the windows so that Mickey can feel the breeze in his ears, and put the petal to the metal.

"There's a world outside every darkened door

Where Blues won't haunt you anymore

For the brave are free and lovers soar

Come ride with me to the distant shore"