River: Round the Bend

[mdlbear]

It's going to be a bit of a wild ride here on the River. I seem to have been drifting for a long time. (I know, I've always viewed my journey downriver as a walk along the bank, but I can damned well mix my own metaphor if I want to.)

And I know that most of what I've written about under this tag has been relationships, friendship, and the care and feeding of geeks. But every once in a while, you have to change direction. And it's happening now.

Grand Central Starport is full of boxes now -- we're moving in less than two months. (How much less is, at present, a matter for some speculation.) I'm also changing jobs. What job I'm changing to is, at present, also a matter for speculation.

I believe I've mentioned alexithymia. I have it -- a difficulty detecting and identifying emotions and other mental states. I believe what's going on now is a mixture of anxiety and stress, mostly. And although I'm getting better at identifying and dealing with anxiety, stress is another matter.

Guess I'm going to learn.

I'm not sure exactly what went into the decision to move from the Bay Area to the Seattle area; economics (cost of living's 25% less) was only part of it. And certainly the fact that I have family and close friends there was a factor. But I don't think that's all of it. Both Colleen and I were ready for a change. Big change. As I said, we'd been drifting. 36 years in the same house, 19 years in the same job... one gets stale, somehow. Complacent.

And, yes, I've always taken the hobbit's view of adventures -- "Nasty, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner." It takes a certain amount of concentration to look at that big bend in the river coming up and look forward to finding out what's around it.

The house is full of boxes; we're moving from 1850 square feet of house and 1600 of garage, to a two-bedroom apartment (and some storage in Naomi's garage). The bookshelves have been ravaged. There's an apartment waiting for us in Lake Forest Park, empty of everything but major appliances and potentiality. Potential energy, soon to become kinetic energy.

Is that white water up ahead?

Comments

[technoshaman]

I find that I'm doing something unusual. As I get older, I'm taking *more* big steps, more long-shot chances, more big adventures. And frankly, modulo stupid pant software upgrades at a job that is simply a springboard to the next big adventure, I'm having the time of my life. I've crossed an ocean for the first time, thrown a concert, written songs, rode motorbikes on the freeway... the latter two of which I thought I'd never do, and the concert... I'd never dreamt of.

Ask yourself what your wildest dreams are.... and reach beyond'em. You might find yourself laughing... or crying for joy.

[judifilksign.livejournal.com]

Well, the more you hoe through now, the less you'll have to deal with later when you're old and not as physically able to lift and sort.

May everything in the move and job hunt go smoothly for you.

[mdlbear]

Thanks. That was one consideration, yes. Retiring will probably be at least as stressful as changing jobs.

[bookwyrm172006.livejournal.com]

I'm gearing up for my own shift-change soon enough (the next year or two), so I get what you're saying about the hobbit and the bend. Your family has been a part of my parents' and my life for longer than I've been alive. I hope you find happiness at the end of your journey, and new life to complement and carry on the best of the old, while losing its complacency and giving you new things and new perspectives to enjoy.

[mdlbear]

Thank you, and good luck!

Been there, done that

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Sadly, we can't make your house-cooling.

One thing that's been kind of a help. Totally by coincidence I hooked up with a church at the new location that was 1). Moving themselves to a new building 2). Doing a series of sermons on the life of Abraham. I'd think, "I'm too old to do this at 50" and then hear about someone who (allegedly) did it at 75.

On the plus side, at least you know folk at the new location. (Me, I had a job when I moved; that was my plus. That and the fact that GPSs came way down in price that year.)

Re: Been there, done that

[mdlbear]

I not only know people, I've been up there often enough for rehearsals to know the area pretty well, too.

*hopefully* I'll have a job, too, by the time I move up, though I'm not counting on it.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

I think it's smart that you're renting before you make a permanent change. My mother did something similar when she was around your age when she moved from southwestern NJ to the eastern side of the state to be closer to Atlantic City.

A part of me wants you to be happy up there; another part of me wants you to decide to come back because I'll miss you!

[mdlbear]

We'll miss you and the rest of our friends, too. And our house. At least we'll be seeing you at conventions.