Season of Change

It’s been a while since I posted, but it’s because it’s been a whirlwind this past month. I started a new job, moved to a new city, and have been living alone for the first time. All of these are things I’m very excited about, but it’s also been a bit stressful and overwhelming.

I started my new job and love the people and the company, but it’s an adjustment going back to work after almost a full year off. I knew it would be, but it was a bit tougher to get the ball rolling to feel productive than I was expecting. This week I finally feel like I’m getting back into the swing of things.

The day I moved from San Francisco to Denver was SO cold! It was single digit weather, and I’m very fortunate that my brother picked me up at the airport. We did an IKEA run so I could at least have a couch, and we had to drive it back in the snow.

The next day was literally 4° F. I haven’t experienced that kind of cold before, and I made the mistake of walking to get dinner that night. Luckily it was under 15 minutes, but I learned just how cold it can be here!

When I got to the restaurant I ended up chatting with the woman next to me. She was very friendly and gave me suggestions of what to order, welcomed me to Denver, and let me know that this cold weather is not the norm. What a relief!

Something that’s been wearing on me the past few weeks is that I feel unlike my usual, positive self. I’ve been stressed, emotionally all over the place, and generally on edge. I sat down one day and tried to figure out exactly why I feel this way and how I can change my attitude.

The conclusion that I came to is that change is hard! Not only am I changing one thing, I’m basically making all the big life changes at once! I have a new city, a new job, a new home, and a new relationship. All at once!

I’m realizing how tough it is to live in a new to a new city, no matter how excited you are about the move. I can’t find where I’m going even with GPS (there’s no sign at the train station to point you to the bus terminal which is under ground), I think I’m paying for my apartment to be 72° all day because I can’t figure out how to turn it off, I took the bus for the first time and I don’t know the proper bus etiquette (some passed without stopping, and the one I needed opened it’s door half a block before the stop so I ran to get on), and I’m having to get used to walking in snow and ice at night and trying not to eat it.

As I’m adjusting and getting to know my new city, one thing I can definitely appreciate is how incredibly nice the people are here. Every Lyft line I’ve taken has lead to great conversations, people that I ask directions from smile and offer so much help, and my coworkers all have great senses of humor and are extremely helpful.

It’s a lot of change at once, but I’m so grateful for everything I have and I’m finally starting to feel a bit more settled. My to-do list still feels a mile long, but I’m loving my bullet journal and slowly working my way through it all. Also, luckily I have a nice open space in my apartment that I’ve been using for daily morning yoga and meditation sessions. Even 10 minutes of stretching and a few minutes of silent mediation goes a long way!

Getting used to the Colorado lifestyle by snow shoeing in a snowstorm. ❄️