Well, here we are again….. Another anniversary.
I know, last year I said I would knock these off…..This wont be long, I promise.
We landed six years ago, give or take a day depending on where you count it from.
No question the move changed our lives in more ways than expected, wanted or imagined. Some good, some bad, some indifferent…. No, thats not right, pretty sure everything has changed, just some more than others… But nothing has stayed the same. Nothing.
Amazingly there are still times when I will be driving or walking or just outside (its always an outside event) and something will ‘glitch’ and I will be shocked that the air or clouds or whatever it is ‘triggers’ and I will be physically shaken that I am in another country, far away from where I am still somehow more used to the air.
Honestly, its the weirdest thing and I really can’t do it justice trying to describe it, just the fact that it still happens some 6 years latter is weirdly amazing disturbing.
Seems that each phase of life we go through is taking more learning and more settling. Amy moving out changed the family dynamics and then within months of her going north, Terry started college.
Those two events back to back took some adjusting. Would they have had the same impact back home? Who knows, point is, we have to learn to feel our way. Everything, big or small, takes your attention. Nothing, it seems, can be done on autopilot. Its very taxing.
Leaving Terry at home for three weeks while we took a trip back home was pretty cool. Even cooler, both he and the dog survived. But it was all a bit odd…. The end result of the trip was that I don’t know where home is. Don’t feel like its here, dont think its there any more.
I miss my mates. That much was made really clear.
No question; running has helped settle me. I don’t seem to have the rollercoaster emotions when I keep my running around 30 miles a week. (48 clicks). (Any less, and its all bets off).
Not sure its related, but have given up drinking as well. Knocked it way back in January. Went cold turkey for the month of Feb and so far, March has been much the the same.
Yeah, I know right? If you know me, you suddenly don’t know me.
Ben, not drinking a drop? Who are you and what happen to the drunk Aussie?
Duno. Got sick of living with myself and driving my co-workers to the mental health hotline I guess.
But, the question remains, would I have started drinking as much if we had not moved over? Thus would I have started running?
In other words, what would have been my mental health state if we had not moved?
Still loving the freeway speeds.
On the topic of cars, no question that Temecula is the convertible weather center of the universe.
2013 I drove topless to work every single day. So far, 2014 has only seen 2 days with the lid shut.
Don’t miss the bike. Will do my level best to never not drive a convertible.
Still can’t walk into a room and turn the light on without screaming at the light switches on the wall.
Have not made a big thing of it, but we have left the church we have been attending for the last 15 years. Attending with (at the moment) a smaller group. Its a work in progress. The key thing at the moment is that I feel like I am growing in this area for the first time in years. There has been more in depth conversations at home than ever before. This is a good thing.
Anyway, another year, and a yet another Ben has surfaced.
You have no doubt noticed the shift right here in this blog.
Nothing is normal. But we are getting our heads around the new daily adventure.
Each year is a mile stone.
A small victory.
Trying very hard to transition from hanging in there to making progress.
Lets see what the next year brings.
