The Disruption of My Daily Routine

Everyone has some sort of daily routine. We get out of bed, make coffee, work out, take the dog for a walk, go to work, blah, blah, blah.

Some sense of order in our lives is a necessity. Living in constant chaos is disconcerting, distracting and can be very unproductive. Our recent move from a familiar environment where we lived for over two decades, to a much smaller home in an entirely different city and geography is a significant – not be underestimated change. However, I honestly believe that change is good, we did it for all the right reasons and so the “change” part of this experience I am handling just fine.

Although I am excited about this new venture, I still miss my friends, the beachside community, my luxurious, spacious house and I dearly miss my daily routine. Before we moved, I knew where everything belonged in my home and where to find it. I knew where to buy my groceries, to get my haircut, go to the dentist and where to drop my clothes at the organic dry cleaners. Nothing was lost in the storage unit or just misplaced, like my iPad.

I have used the same dry cleaners since our son Nick (now 21) sat in his infant car seat on their counter. I loved the fact that I had complete confidence they would have never ruined my clothes. I am a loyal customer and don’t hop from business to business.

We knew where to pick up dinner, go for coffee and where to get the car fixed. We had a dishwasher that worked, no dated wallpaper, and there wasn’t an extra clothes rack in our (very small) master bedroom to hold the balance of our hanging clothes. I didn’t have to use Google or Yelp every time I left the house.

I realize that in time I will figure out where to go and how to live successfully in my new smaller home and city. But it’s the transition that is pretty damn difficult. I try not to dwell on the negative, it is not mentally productive and certainly does not solve my issues.

I need to stay sunny, optimistic and VERY patient.

Here’s the great news: I am truly proud of what Craig and I have already accomplished in our new “old” house. We have made progress in our overgrown yard, cleaned out the garage and the architectural plans are almost finalized. We have found some delicious restaurants nearby, joined a new gym and discovered several locations where we can walk Rocco.

Still haven’t found a dry cleaners or hair salon, but I have discovered the local Trader Joes and Whole Foods!

I am not a patient person and it is very difficult for me to wait for anything. I want to fix this quickly, be settled, be familiar with my surroundings and get my life back in order. A life change of this magnitude does not become second nature in a short period of time. This will take time and I do realize this!

Imagine that your life’s components are in your purse. All of these components represent areas of your life that make you happy and keep your life moving swiftly and easily. Now take that purse and dump the entire contents on the ground. Understand that you have not lost anything. Everything you need is there, but one by one you need to put them back in their rightful place, so you can find them again. That is what we are doing, solving each issue as we go along every day.

I thought it was important to share some of the difficulties and feelings I have been experiencing. This post has helped me to reflect and to figuratively pat us on the back for the many tasks we have already accomplished. But I am only human and by my sharing this perspective with you, it allows me to tell the entire story, not just the fun parts.

Are you a patient person? Is patience a virtue? I think it is!

 

To be continued…

 

Suzanne