A little over twenty years ago, my friend and I jumped in her car the day after finals and moved to Washington, DC, without a place to live or a job (both of which were remedied within 48 hours of arriving in DC - ahhhh the good old days). Today I pack up again. Now I have a legal career I am proud to have served in, a new business in Executive Coaching with certifications in multiple areas, a two-year old son I couldn't be more proud of, and a new chapter ahead.
While I will return to DC for work over the next few years, I will have a new home in the heart of the Midwest. I will miss the friends I have made here but I look forward to renewing old friendships, making new friends, and reconnecting with family I have been away from for too long. I leave the comfort of having four Starbucks within walking distance and a grocery store in the basement of my condo for the comfort of having both parents within a mile of home. The nearest Starbucks will be about 60 miles away, but that is drivable, right? Not to mention there is a great home-town coffee shop on the town square. (Is it just me or is there something incredibly grounding about a town square?)
To be honest, I go from scared to death to excited to a peaceful zen in a heartbeat. It has been twenty years since I lived in small-town Iowa. While people who meet me still "peg" me as from the Midwest, I worry that I have become too jaded to truly fit in. Hopefully, leaving the beltway in my rearview mirror will go a long way to remembering my roots.
And roots are what I am looking for. This picture was taken at Red Rock Lake in Iowa last May, one of my favorite places in the world. Where I learned to swim. And where I spent the better part of my childhood riding in my dad's boat. And where my son will get to do those things as well. Sharing this piece of the world with him is a gift I don't think I ever really hoped to have.
The scary (but also fun) part is building new business in the Midwest. With the ink not even dry on my new certification from Gallup as a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and my years of experience in coaching, MBTI, leadership development, and Franklin Covey programs, I bring value to my clients. And I look forward to the journey the next few months will bring establishing myself in the community.
You know I will share as I move forward with this new chapter, but the funny thing is that nervousness that comes from blowing the barriers off of my comfort zone has made me feel more alive than I have since my son was born. I feel like building this new reality for my son, my parents, and I and succeeding with my business is what I am supposed to be doing. So the more nervous I become the more sure I become that I am doing the right thing. I cannot wait for this new adventure and am excited to be able to share it with you.
When you face a new chapter, how do you ground yourself and push through? Do you like major changes like this or do you prefer more subtle, graduated changes? What would you miss the most if you moved 1000 miles away from where you live now?
While I will return to DC for work over the next few years, I will have a new home in the heart of the Midwest. I will miss the friends I have made here but I look forward to renewing old friendships, making new friends, and reconnecting with family I have been away from for too long. I leave the comfort of having four Starbucks within walking distance and a grocery store in the basement of my condo for the comfort of having both parents within a mile of home. The nearest Starbucks will be about 60 miles away, but that is drivable, right? Not to mention there is a great home-town coffee shop on the town square. (Is it just me or is there something incredibly grounding about a town square?)
To be honest, I go from scared to death to excited to a peaceful zen in a heartbeat. It has been twenty years since I lived in small-town Iowa. While people who meet me still "peg" me as from the Midwest, I worry that I have become too jaded to truly fit in. Hopefully, leaving the beltway in my rearview mirror will go a long way to remembering my roots.
The scary (but also fun) part is building new business in the Midwest. With the ink not even dry on my new certification from Gallup as a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and my years of experience in coaching, MBTI, leadership development, and Franklin Covey programs, I bring value to my clients. And I look forward to the journey the next few months will bring establishing myself in the community.
You know I will share as I move forward with this new chapter, but the funny thing is that nervousness that comes from blowing the barriers off of my comfort zone has made me feel more alive than I have since my son was born. I feel like building this new reality for my son, my parents, and I and succeeding with my business is what I am supposed to be doing. So the more nervous I become the more sure I become that I am doing the right thing. I cannot wait for this new adventure and am excited to be able to share it with you.
When you face a new chapter, how do you ground yourself and push through? Do you like major changes like this or do you prefer more subtle, graduated changes? What would you miss the most if you moved 1000 miles away from where you live now?
Comments
Post a Comment