Retired and Smiling

Well it has now been about three months since my southern migration to my new home.  In those three months, I have pretty much done everything needed to establish myself as a permanent resident in the City of Atlanta.  While the transition has been relatively smooth, there have been some bumps and I have done most of the settling around the schedule of my delightful little grand-daughter.

I am particularly proud of the fact that I only brought my bed with me and about 60 boxes of personal items and clothes. And through the convenience of the internet, I have almost completely furnished my new apartment with hours of scouring various sites and a click of a button.   As I now am able to just sit most evening, I am finding that I am pretty pleased with my progress.  I only have one box that is yet unpacked, but it is filled with videos, so no rush.  So here I am, about 6 weeks later and I have put things together.  But first let me show you some photos of my journey.

The Journey begins…..  Arrived in Atlanta in September.  In late October, I went back to Milwaukee to get my things out of storage and headed south for my 12 hour drive.

I thank God for my sister and brother-in-law, and my dear friends Pam and Ron who loaded the truck for me in about 2 hours.  Once I got to Atlanta, Dahshi and two of his amazing friends unloaded my truck in about 30 minutes.  Unbelievable!

So here is what it looked like with everything unloaded.  Just check out the photos and click on the video afterwards to get an idea.

.  Because I watch my grand-daughter weekdays, working around her needs was quite challenging.  But I did it!   Searching sites and remembering and going back to make decisions was hard to do at times.  But Mission Accomplished.  I worked while she slept and that allowed me hours to search the internet.  I am pleased with my bargains and my choices so far.  But as I said in my title of this blog…I have a ways to go yet.

To say my task was daunting was an understatement.  Some days, I felt each day of my 65 years.  But there is something exciting about change, all the while frightening too.  The best part is I have a wonderful support system with my family, including those here and those back in Rockford.  So never was I alone in facing the task ahead of me.  That makes a big difference.

I did not think I would settle so easily in living in an apartment again since I was a homeowner the past 15 years, but the freedom is refreshing.  Like when we had a huge storm come through awhile back, I had no worries of shingles blowing off, or tree branches falling on my house.  Ahhh….I slept with no fear.

One thing I have learned about this move is that you have to face your fears.  As I got closer to the move, I started second guessing myself and wondering if indeed I was making the right decision, because seriously, we senior citizens like regularity and routines.  We have become accustomed to things in our lives that follow a pattern, allowing us to be comfortable.  To leave everything behind that you have spent your life building up, is a bit crazy.  But the difference for me was, I was not leaving my life behind, but rather adding to my life by coming home (albeit an unknown one) to family.  And I said it before, but will say it again, it makes all the difference.

Change is never easy and sometimes we have to be pushed out of our comfort zones.  But I would advise anyone who is facing a choice to just step out of your box.  You might surprise yourself and find a whole new beginning.

Well, this is a start!  I am pretty pleased and definitely content.  Who knows what is next?  I still have my patio to make into an outdoor living space, but unfortunately Winter has put the brakes on that.  Until then, I am going to sit back, relax inside and get used to my new place!