- We moved. Michael started a job at American Petroleum Institute last week and just loves his new job. Washington DC is a crazy, busy, chaotic, well-oiled machine. After searching for places to live for a few months while we catch our breath and learn our surroundings, we decided to live just outside of DC.
- We moved to Wheaton (Silver Spring), Maryland. We live in a tiny 2BR, 2BA apartment right above the Wheaton Metro, making Michael's commute that much easier - about 40 minutes on the Metro with a little bit of walking to API.
- The kids started preschool at a local Jewish learning center this morning and seemed to settle in nicely. It was just simply time of them to spread their little wings and fly for a few hours a morning.
- And boy was I ready for that too.
- I started a new job, while I keep cityflicker Freelance on the side. I'm officially a Content Strategist for a small PR firm in Virginia, requiring lots of remote work and a few hours a week in the office. I'm just starting the position this week, but I'm hopeful I will be an asset as I learn and grow in my role.
- After working a week, Michael leaves this afternoon for a conference in Houston. He's excited.
Now for the how it's REALLY going!
- It's HARD. So much harder than I thought. These two weeks have really tested me as a mom and a wife and a person. I'm amazed at how change can just rock identity. But somehow it has. Asking questions about who I am outside of friends, family, church, community, area-awareness, etc. becomes exhausting and usually pretty impossible to answer.
- I am learning to give myself a little grace - to fail and then try again. For instance, today I dropped the kids off at preschool and had some work to do. I wanted a cozy spot at a local Starbucks but the closest one is inside the Safeway. So I google mapped another one and drove a few miles to get there, only to realize that it was just a drive through one. So I googled another one, went inside with my notebook and laptop and, it was full to capacity. Not a seat in the entire joint. I'm not going to lie, I went back to the car and cried a little. Because I didn't know where to go. And I'm directionally impaired in general in life so this is just that much more frustrating.
- It wasn't just the Starbucks location (just ended up at the one inside Safeway), it's sort of everything. Everything is new and confusing and I have to map it all just to get anywhere. I feel lost a little - usually because I am.
- Michael keeps telling me to give it some time. And that's what I'm trying to do. Have grace for myself and keep trying. I'm sure I'll adjust. I always have before but, can I just say?, I miss some of the predictability and the safety of really knowing Pittsburgh and its suburbs.
- And I miss my friends. Somehow just knowing that I could grab a drink with someone after a bad day, comforted me and helped me through even the worst of mommy days.
- On the positive - I am so happy for this opportunity. It's what we worked for all those long days and nights of tiny babies and grad school and then the post-grad school trying and waiting. It's really, really what we always hoped and suspected would happen. So in some ways, DC was always "the thing." When you get "the thing," it can feel surreal. And it does a bit.
- The children seem to really like it here, especially the Metro. I don't know why, but they're playing together so much more. Funny games of dinosaur and candyland and "you be the mommy and i'll be the baby kitty" type of things. They're growing and seem to have not really had a huge adjustment period.
- There is so much opportunity here for us as a family - places to visit, groups to join, churches to try, work opportunties. It's almost overwhelming but at least there is little reason to ever be bored.
- We got a weekly babysitter (every Saturday night) for a few hours. And I cannot WAIT to begin our foodie adventure. The options are endless and amazing. This is a great food town.
- The diversity is incredible. Here in Wheaton, there are tons of ethnicities represented, languages being spoken, music being blasted and people just being unique and different. The world is here, next door and down the street, at preschool and inside churches. I love it.
Signing off until next time. Thanks for following my randoms.
