Starting Over

I've lived in every timezone in the continental United States since graduating college in 2001. First it was Seattle. Then Colorado. Eventually, I became a Texan. And now, it's Atlanta. I'm on my 4th phone number and 9th address in 9 years.

One might think that I liked moving around...that it was easy...and that this kind of transition was exciting and fun.

I don't. It's not. And, OK, it kind of is. A tiny little bit.

My job and life in Seattle came with built-in friends. I worked in an office with five other recent grads. Two of them were insta-friends, and we still keep up with each other today.

When I traded in excellent coffee, delicious Thai food and overcast, drizzly skies for mountain adventures, academia and the sunniest city in America, it came with built in community. Full-time grad student. Lived on campus. So. Much. Fun. That group of people graduated and moved on, but the transition to life in Boulder was smooth because my life, friends and church all remained constant.

Then I prayed for a year and a half that God would teach me to trust and obey Him more. He sent me to Texas. I cried. No joke.

Austin was a hard move for me...but it had relationships waiting. My big brother lived there for years, and I knew many of his friends. It was easy. Sure, there were some stumbling blocks along the way, but there were people to call, things to do and social events happening.

Then I quit my job and decided to run back to the mountains as quickly as possible. And I did. For a month. But a phone call while driving around Lake Dillon one afternoon started the conversation that would eventually bring me back from Summit County to Austin for a few months before moving...to Atlanta.

I always said I'd go anywhere but the deep South.

Never say never.

But it's Atlanta - not the "deep South." Not really, anyway. But it sure is new. It's new and unfamiliar. There are about four street names and 400,000 streets. It's hilly. Everywhere. So I decided to train for the Nashville Marathon because it's a hilly course and a fun race. Besides, I have all the time in the world to run with an empty social calendar. At least not one that was easily double and triple booked on a regular basis. At least with options to be.

Now I'm starting over. From scratch. Well, almost scratch. I've known my closest coworker since elementary school...but he's married with a baby on the way. There's one girl with whom I graduated high school...but we hadn't spoken for almost 13 years. One friend from youth group is in the suburbs...with two young children. And then there's one friend from Boulder who just relocated for a similar job...living in the suburbs, as well.

So there are a few people that I know, and I'm thankful for them. But this time, it truly is starting over. I've met new people. But they're new. They don't know my story, and I don't know theirs. We don't have shared memories. There are no "remember when" moments that make sense.

Yet.

That's what I have to keep telling myself. Those relationships will develop. There'll be people I can call if I just want to hang out and do nothing. I'll stop depending on my iPhone GPS like it's a source of oxygen. And one day, I'll have someone to whom I can turn and say, "remember when..."

Updating the List

About a year ago, I posted a list of things that I want to experience in life and realized the other day that this needed some updating. It was originally in a journal from about 5 years ago, but I wanted to get ideas for more fun things to add to it, so I put it on my blog. Here's the latest version...enjoy!

dance as though no one is watching you,

love as though you have never been hurt before,

sing as though no one can hear you,

live as though heaven is on earth."

What would you add to it?

1. Experience Italy - March/April 2009, my mom and I had an incredible adventure!
2. Take gourmet cooking classes - including desserts!
3. Write a book
4. Get married
5. Be a mom
6. Run a marathon or complete a triathlon 
7. Learn to play guitar
8. NYC!
9. Climb a 14er in Colorado - Gray's 7/4/06 and Quandry 8/06
   
10. Go Sailing
11. New England in the Fall
12. Highway 1 in California
13. Central/South America
14. Africa - Kenya Nov. 20-Dec. 5, 2005, Egypt Nov. 2007
    
15. Another degree?
16. Read the Bible continuously from Genesis to Revelation - started in 2005 & completed in 2007
    
17. San Francisco
18. Ireland
19. Greece
20. Extended short-term missions
21. Speak Truth
22. Buy a bike - with the help of some incredible people, I did this in September 2009.
23. Buy snowshoes
24. Work at a church again - Starting in October 2006 Associate Youth Director in Austin, Texas
    
25. Build the dream business with Amber
26. Give a YS Seminar
27. Ski when I'm 80-years-old
28. Live in Kenya or overseas for a short while
29. Continue friendships from all the places I've lived
30. Sante Fe
31. Publish magazine articles - first one in 2005
32. Be a speaker
33. Russia
34. Egypt - Nov. 19-25, 2007 with Michael (brother) on the way to Israel...Cairo, Luxor, Dahab, Sinai, Cairo
    
35. Alaskan Cruise
36. Singapore/Thailand
37. Take dance classes - Swing: Lindy Hop & Charleston 9/6/08
    
38. Swim with dolphins
39. Mountain bike in Moab - June 2005 with Jenny, Anna, Amanda, Emily and Tara
    
40. Boston - visiting Laura Davis August 2005
    
41. U2 concert - Denver 4/20/05
    
42. Israel/Middle East - Israel with Michael and his church, visiting Kelli & Jeremy Brown, November 25-December 8, 2007
    
43. Skydiving - June 3, 2006 with Becky Sears & Julie Arnett at Mile High Skydive in Longmont, Colorado
    
44. Not work at a church again
45. Honduras, while Anna is still living there
46. Caving/Spelunking - October 2007 with Heather, Heather, Alexia, Jeremy, Mark, Jeshua and Peter in Austin
    
47. Play classical violin...again
48. Be spontaneous
49. Work at a coffee shop - Starbucks in Denver August 2002-January 2005 
    
50. Live in Colorado - Denver/Boulder 2002-2006
    
51. Feel "home"
52. Cook international foods - I do this sometimes.
    
53. Wine tasting in Sonoma
54. New Zealand (Australia)
55. Love people well
56. Always write letters...hand-written, real letters
57. Write freelance full time
58. Finish the scrapbooks that have been started
59. Heli-ski
60. Ski Whistler/Blackcomb
61. Learn to golf
62. Go to an NFL Game
63. Go to a NHL Game
64. Mizzou Homecoming, as an alum
65. Visit Las Vegas - August 2008 with Julia Welch
66. Ride a motorcycle- 12/30/09...Thank you, Dominic!
67. Never stop asking questions
68. Sing Karaoke...loudly
69. Learn to play poker
70. Learn Spanish
71. Learn Greek
72. Climb Manchu Picchu
73. Visit Cleide in Panama
74. 
    

My new project

I just signed up for my first marathon. I'm a runner. But not a real runner. I run to support my chocolate habit or when I'm stressed or too busy. I run a few miles here and there...for kicks, nothing special.

But today, I signed up for the Nashville Country Music Marathon. I ran on some trails this morning for 2 hours with some women who run ultra-marathons and didn't want to die, and so I figured that in just over two months, I could train up to the whole 26.2.

Stay tuned...
 

  

It's just a number.

When I was 14-years-old, my tennis coach asked me when a person was considered "old." I distinctly remember considering the fact that he was about 28- or 30-years-old himself before answering "32" with confidence. 


32 is not old.


When I was 22-years-old, young adult groups were those of us in college through mid-20s. People in their 30s were ancient.


30s are not old.


When I was 25-years-old, a friend in her mid-30s told me about how she decided to run a marathon the year that she turned 30. I distinctly remember thinking that was crazy for someone so "old" to do if he or she was not already a runner.


30 is not old.




Now I'm 30-years-old, 32 is right around the corner, I'm a wanna-be runner who decide to sign up for a marathon in April (and am not crazy!) and people in their 30s are my peers.


Yup...it's just a number.