I underwent a major move the end of May, going from the Phoenix, Arizona area to Georgia.
When I was 14, dad moved us from Northern Virginia to Arizona. At first, having a swimming pool and sunshine seemed quite nice. Eventually, the intolerable heat, unrelenting sunshine, and the buildup of the Greater Phoenix Area to pavement and traffic, poor air quality, and miserably dry summer monsoons had me despising the desert.
I married the boy down the street who wanted to stay here. Then, I had a son who settled here with his wife and my granddaughter. I had so many reasons to stay, but I am stubborn to my commitments. It took massive discomfort in my marriage to leave after 26 years of wedded mess. And, so it went with leaving the desert.
My family of origin were almost completely gone (I was the baby by far). The cost of living in a place I hated was an insult upon injury.
So, as my relationship with my partner grew, we both realized it was not a place we wanted to be. We awaited some films I wrote on the verge of being filmed, but in the mean time we were paying enormous amounts to live in the easy bake oven in Phoenix, the desert island.
My partner was from Georgia, born and raised there, loved by the community. When I finally relented that I am allowed to do what I wanted all my life and leave the sunshine and dirt, I was thrilled to realize I was going home again. I was going to the South - my love. The hospitality, the humidity, the lightning bugs, apple festivals, real autumns, holidays that felt like holidays, and all the loving people in my partner's network that were eager to greet me as a new sister.
Life is wild, how sometimes it causes obstacles and f'ups that make you wonder if you're jinxed but what it's really doing is telling you, "on the wrong path!"
The minute I gave in to my dreams for the first time in my caretaking life, things became blessed. I was no longer chronically depressed. I was finally getting that vibe you get at 18 when you get to launch out and make that life you dreamed about. I felt 20 years old again!
When we force ourselves into an existence that brings no joy, maybe a miserable job, marriage, location, we have to set up tons of roadblocks to keep us on that autopilot path.
We make up tons of fears or excuses why you can't leave it because the system was set up for you to obey and continue the mindless and meaningless existence.
Once you cross through those fears and challenge them and push the boundaries, you realize that there is a parallel life you could be living.
Some considerations I had for the place to live included - being not far from medical facilities and hospitals as I age. I wanted to be where it's green and there are seasons. I did not want to live in tract housing ever again, but something that felt private while having neighbors. I wanted to be among friendly folks and definitely in the south. I will always be a very committed southerner. I wanted things like mountains and oceans within a drive away for seasonal getaways.
My partner introduced me to his hometown folks in Georgia and they welcomed me with open arms. In Phoenix, people are so far apart and behind walls, hiding in their cars as they enter the garage and close the door. Everything is heat, pavement, dust is considered a weather condition. I was so out of place, especially for a water-loving gal.
I will share the photo journey on here and the in's and out's of starting over in a new location. We are both starting over with nothing from the past, only putting together our nest with items we choose. I get to oil paint and garden again and he gets to grill and karaoke. It really is our time!
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