Just realized that it's been almost 5 months since I've logged into my blog. It's not because I haven't had anything to say.....but mostly because we have been caught up in the hub-bub of moving and starting new jobs, finding a new house, closing on our house in Nashville, exploring our new surroundings and what-not. A lot has happened in just 5 months. Am I the same person I was then? Haha!! Of course I'm still ME, but then again, maybe not really. Changing circumstances have a way of shaping opinions, changing outlook, and doing an over-all make-over on a girl.
I have learned that I am a lot more resourceful and stronger than I thought I could ever be. I was able to move us into our condo almost single-handedly in the rain because Steve had to start his new job the day we could pick up our keys. Granted, I was only moving in our clothing and kitchen goods....but it was up to the third floor. And it was exhausting. But I did it!!
I had to start over and find a new job. It was difficult, scary, disconcerting, and a little bit weird to go to interviews after working my way up to my executive director position in my last company. I ended up taking a job that was 2 positions down from where I was with my company in Nashville, but after 2 weeks, I was offered a promotion and now I'm the Director of Clinical Services. I'm not the only one in charge of sinking/swimming before....which is reassuring and a lot less pressure. This company's corporate climate is so different from ANY where I've ever worked....it has been a very difficult adjustment for me. And for a Southern country girl like me ( for the record, Florida is NOT a Southern state, by the way...everyone here is pretty much from up-state _____, (somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line)... one of the HUGE adjustments has been dealing with so many people (patients and co-workers) who are so straight-forward and seemingly rude. I am used to working with mostly Southern folks......folks who say yes ma'am and no sir and temper even the worst news with, "Bless your heart." Not so here.....it's a straight-shooting, take-no-prisoners way of communication. It pretty much "is what it is" and you just need to put on your big-girl panties and deal with the fall-out or else "forgettabouttit." That took a bit for me to get used to.....but the worst of the culture shock is behind me....I hope. They don't really mean to be rude, they just want to get to the point and not have to shoot the breeze and ask "How's your Momma and 'em" before getting down to business. I understand it better now. I had a lot of hurt feelings at first. (Can you tell I don't get out much?) Haha!
We also had to find a new church. We visited several....we LOVED the church my friend Cheryl attends "Exciting Idlewild Baptist", but it was over an hour away from our house (an hour with no traffic.....more than an hour each way with traffic), so that wasn't very practical....especially for choir and Bible Study groups. So.....we visited several churches in this area, but most are either very traditional (ie....a sea of white hair and a choir with an organ/piano/hymnals....a little of that is okay, but it's definitely NOT our favorite style of worship). We found some churches that were a bit....how should I say........too weird....for us. A few that were waaaaaaaaay too liberal, and a few not nearly liberal enough. We have settled for the last month at a fairly large Baptist church near my husband's office.....and it's only about a 15 minute drive. Very doable. We enjoy the preacher's messages and feel that he really does teach the Bible and he doesn't holler, scream, spit, do holy-aerobics, or offer a bland pop-psychology feel-good message. The music is a mixture of hymns and contemporary worship....which is just how I like it. I love the old hymns that I grew up with....but the Bible DOES admonish us to "Sing unto the Lord a New Song!" and after the 5th verse of singing "Just As I Am" like a funeral dirge.....I'm ready to embrace those new songs as well as dust off the golden oldies from time to time. I am looking forward to fall, when the church starts up their new small groups. They have been on a break for the summer...so we still don't feel "plugged in" or connected yet. We go to church with 5000 other people, listen to the message, worship....and leave. I thrive with relationships and I acutely feel the lack of that right now.
It really has been somewhat lonely after moving. It helps that my husband is not traveling and we are home together every evening. THAT part of things is heavenly. The sad part is not having anyone here yet that I can call up when I want to go and get a pedicure or ask who to see to have my hair done.....or to just vent or swap recipes with. Like I said, work friends here are very different than work friends I've had everywhere else.....they don't socialize outside of work and gawk at the idea of being Facebook friends with anyone from the office. That stumped me at first.....some of my strongest friendships have come out of working side-by-side with other women......I really miss that camaraderie. I miss my friends back in Nashville....I miss my family too. I miss my friends out in Texas....and in Chattanooga. I know that in time I will make friends here too.....I just assumed it would happen before I hit the 5 month mark.
We have met a few of our neighbors...but they mostly keep to themselves too. We live in a very small gated neighborhood....only about 12 houses....so there aren't that many neighbors. They tend to either be a lot older (retired) or a lot younger with small children. We're somewhere in the middle.
We love our new house though.....having a swimming pool has been interesting! It is a lot of work (especially for my sexy, hot pool boy: Steve Griffin)....but it is so wonderful to come in after a long hot day and jump in and cool off for a few minutes before starting supper. We've even started teaching Sophie how to swim. She's a reluctant swimmer. She likes it when she's in there....but is still a little anxious when we aren't right with her. Most of our boxes are emptied now.....but we still have a garage full of boxes and since this house doesn't have an attic, we are having to use our office as a 'storage room' of sorts for the Christmas stuff and other things that we use seasonally. We still don't have our pictures hanging on the wall yet. We keep saying we are going to tackle it, but have yet to make the commitment.
Well, that pretty much catches up with what's happened in the last 5 months. It's been a crazy kind of ride, that's for sure.
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