one month later.

so, here i am, one month after i departed from my world in steamboat. a giant send-off with all of my favorite people, and a few final runs on my mountain... a four day drive across the country, a few days to unpack, three days of orientation, and on friday i will finish my fourth week of my new job. phewph- what a whirlwind!

have i settled in? i'm getting there. i'm still seeking a consistent routine in my days, figuring out the best timing for driving to work, when the gym isn't too busy, how to fit regular yoga practice into my days, and how to not waste my entire evening on the internet searching for apartments, catching up on tv episodes, and chatting with friends who are thousands of miles away. i've found my yoga class (wednesdays at 6), i've made strides in getting bed to read at reasonable hours, and i've learned that it takes 18 minutes door to door to get to work. of course, that's all being rapidly restructured and adjusted as i learned last week that my job is moving from waterbury to williston, adding about 15-20 more minutes onto my daily commute, and removing me from the little town i've only just begun to explore. so, the settling part is shifting.

do i love it? i don't love working in a cubicle, and i don't love driving. i do love having dinner with my parents every night, doing activities together, and joining our daily lives together after nine years in separate states. i very much love living down the street from my very oldest friend, just as we did for eight years of our childhood. i love being adults together and dealing with issues like accruing over time & buying houses, rather than chemistry homework or mean gossip. i love montpelier, the community, the culture, the people. i love the idea of my new job-- of working with people similar to my age who are also incredibly fun, of being a part of the team that influences the best practices of a large business, of exploring the many new opportunities.

is it worth it? currently, no. do i see it being worth it soon-ish? yes.
i had it going pretty darn great in steamboat, and i think we all know that. i had a seven minute walk to work, an incredible job that involved working with wonderful people and sitting in an office with two huge windows looking out at trees and a ski mountain. i had a giant crew of incredible friends to socialize with, 400 inches of snow to ski in, and a very consistent daily balance of working, exercising & socializing.
i made the conscious choice to give up that life, and to move my world to vermont. i know it could be along time until i feel as content & established in my life here, and i knew that when i left steamboat. yes, i miss my life there, and particularly the people i had in my life there, but i'm learning quickly to not compare steamboat to vermont, and instead to appreciate the specific things about vermont, and my life here (wise words from the former boss right there...). i know it won't be the same, and i wouldn't want it to be. my relationships here will be different, either with people who have known me forever, or new people i meet along the way. the routines won't be the same-- but i do hope to maintain the work-exercise-socialize-life balance. i look forward to the day that it feels easier, but i know i'm in a good place in the meantime as well.

i know i'm on my way.