Finding Peace in the ‘New’ Familiar

For those who tune in, I skipped a week of blogging as we finally arrived home to beautiful Arizona and took some time to take in all the new yet familiar surroundings.  It as an incredible journey back.  We made sure to spend the time wisely as we ventured through each town, covering the 1600 mile stretch.  When driving up to my parent’s lovely home in the desert covered mountains and soaking up the gorgeous sun and spectacular surroundings, I knew we made a wise decision.  It’s always hard to leave the familiar (back in Alabama which has its own unique beauty), the place where we bought a cozy home, settled into a comfortable routine, established our regular ‘hang-outs’, made good friends and felt at ease with the pace of our day-to-day activities, along with a few travel excursions nearby.

Coming back was a bit surreal…but it didn’t take long to feel at peace with the familiar.  A ‘new’ familiar.  Spending time with my parents contributed to this tranquility as they have always been my voice of reason (aside from Ernesto).  I melted watching Maya reconnect with Grandma and  Grandpa as if she’d never left them.  I just love watching them interact.  It’s priceless.  Maya has a unique relationship with each and they both give her such joy.  Grandma is a spitfire and that’s where Maya gets her spunkiness.  Grandpa is light-hearted and funny and always full of goofy responses which you’ll get a taste for in our upcoming 3rd book “My 9-Year Old Grandpa”!

We also saw family we hadn’t seen in quite a long time.  Great talks with everyone.  I love hearing about others’ goals and aspirations as it inspires me to keep treading forward.  Maya instantly sync’d up with her closest cousins and they’ve been having such a blast.  It warms my heart to know that we’ll be ok.  In the past, picking up and moving around was never a big deal for me (as a single gal).  I did it all the time, but now with a family, I see the importance of family ties, particularly with Maya and the age that she’s at.  I’m so happy with our choice to move back and I see the positive impact on her.

I also reconnected with my colleagues at the office.  It felt so comfortable and easy.  Although I greatly missed my work buddies back in AL, I was so relieved that the adjustment in my ‘new’ old workplace was seamless, pleasant…and familiar.  There was definitely some ‘re-acclimating’ to be done, but this all set the tone for exciting things to come and, more importantly, building relationships with new folks too.

The real treat was catching up with my 2 favorite girlfriends last evening.  They are spectacular women who’ve accomplished so much and are very precious to me.  I love that we can be away from each other for months at a time and simply call and meet up as if I’d seen them yesterday!  We talked for hours and Ernesto chimed in with the male perspective on all the usual topics (romance, family, jobs, kids, etc.)  I especially love my husband for always smiling warmly and supporting my rants when I get too comfortable after a glass or two 😉

So much more to absorb as we continue to re-establish roots in our ‘new’ familiar place.  As I sit here drinking coffee, I look out the window and see the intoxicating desert landscape and incredible wildlife.  I suddenly feel at peace with everything.  Thank you for checking in.  Wishing you all a fun and relaxing weekend.