A year ago this morning, probably sometime right around nowish, I pulled out of Grace's driveway with my car stuffed so full I barely had room to sit and drive. I drove seven hours to here to come back to live. One year already? I guess it's true what they say about time and how it does fly.
Man and dog had already been here for a week, so technically they moved back before I did. When I got to my house, I found small chaotic mountains comprised of our belongings in every room. He had started setting stuff up and did okay in some areas, such as choosing the correct bedroom for us and knowing better than to try to put away my kitchen. He failed in other areas, such as setting the computer up in the dining room and leaving things in such a way they managed to obstruct all walking areas in the house. His reasoning for the computer placement was so he could be on it and watch TV at the same time, not realizing he has the same luxury with the computer being in the computer room. That's what I'm here for.
I spent the first few days unpacking and trying to get settled. I ran around with his mom doing the shopping and annoying things you have to do when you move to a different state. Shortly after I got here a heat wave arrived and we had over two weeks straight of over 100 degree temps. We didn't have cable TV or internet at first. I went to the library a lot to map things out online and to check out books to prevent going insane. I'd brought with me the last Harry Potter knowing it would be a big help in keeping my spirits up, just like the first Harry Potter was. While chewing gum at the library I broke a tooth. I spent a month and a half working shitty temp jobs while waiting to be hired at the college. I burned my hand twice on my new oven in a space of a week. I spent a lot of time going on job interviews, my least favorite activity on earth. When I interviewed at any place besides the college, I hoped I wouldn't get the job. I realized Columbia changed a lot in the years I was gone and we were now living in the only area of town I was never familiar with. There was now an extra interstate. I got lost a lot. I sat on my front porch swing a lot. I talked on the phone to people in Florida a lot.
After spending nine years in Florida wanting nothing more to be back here, I spent the first two months here wishing I was back there. I thought, mistakenly, I wouldn't feel a lot of the usual stress of moving since I'd lived here before, knew and loved people here and knew how much I love this area. Wrong. It was a huge decision that didn't catch up with me until I got here and the reality hit that life had changed dramatically. Through no other choice but my own. A little post traumatic kicked in. In addition to that I was dealing with a personal issue, so I'm going to go ahead and venture my frame of mind was set to Stun for awhile there.
I can't pinpoint an exact time when things started improving, but it happened slowly. Getting the job I wanted helped tremendously, as that tends to do. Spending time with my favorite people here helped a lot. That first cool crispy day of Fall reminded me why I love it here. Slowly the Stun setting got turned back down to As Peaceful as I Ever Get.
A whole year has passed. I'm glad it's now and not then.
No comments:
Post a Comment