Tag Archives: Anxiety

It’s Happening!

We are moving back to my hometown of Lakeland, Florida at the end of May! Foxer and I will be flying down and meeting Dadu, Grandma and Grandpa there with the rental truck and our car. I just ordered a rolling carry on Fox picked out himself with a plane and helicopter on it.

One moment Fox is grinning about the move and the next he’s saying he doesn’t want to go to Florida. I think it’s the feelings of change and uncertainty we all feel when moving a thousand miles, in a 3 year old without experiences to draw on and with less control over his world. Helping him work through these feelings certainly isn’t easy, but I can’t bear to imagine how it would be if we tried to stop any acting out with a forceful hand instead of working out what’s really going on.

With any big change like this there are lots of feels. The three of us are cycling through feelings of elation, joy and hope, and then time of doubt, fear, and insecurity. Important to remember to pause and relate when it doesn’t come naturally.

I’ve been anchoring myself through yoga, pilaties, music, dancing, journaling, cleaning, organizing, purging all the necessary things just taking up space, and praying. I remind myself and we remind each other that this is totally the right thing to do. Then it’s back to work on my Etsy shop and more moving perpetrations. Trying to ride the waves. Getting back up as necessary without getting hung up on the falling part.

Dadu will have a nice steady job at the Chop Shop and we’ll be able to come back to visit our Indiana friends and family. Here we’ve been so strapped that we were only to swing one trip back to Florida in 5 years! Things should be more balanced after this move.

Getting excited about all the things we’ll get to do. The beach, (I am so not meant to live landlocked), feeding the ducks, swans, geese, and other water birds at the lakes downtown. Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Determined to NOT be a HERMIT! Going to get outside! Fox will get to play in the woods I explored as a child. I’ll even take some mama time to head down to the local coffee shop to blog and meet up with friends. Actually get to go on dates with Russ, more than sorta once.

Looking forward to this new chapter. It’s been real Indiana, there is certainly something special about Bloomington, but it’s time for us to go home and build on all we’ve learned, combining it with who we’ve always been.

Awkward Social Situations

I sometimes think myself out of social situations before even giving them a chance to play out. Imagining how it will go I skip to the part where I just don’t. Do you ever do that too or is it just me?

The phrase “social situation” always reminds me of this episode of The IT Crowd: Watch Video on YouTube

Why is it that making and being friends is so much easier when you’re a kid? Oh, you like that too? Best friends! So organic.

Now everyone’s so busy. Getting together has to be scheduled and probably rescheduled at least once. Friend time has to be planned around nap times and adult obligations. It’s not like someone just happens to be sitting beside you in class or at lunch. I like things to happen organically. Go with the flow and hey, friends!

Guess you just have to find new ways of doing things in new phases of life. Easier said than done.

When I think of reaching out to new friends, for instance, I can easily think myself into awkward situations where I can’t seem to express myself, fumble it all up, and they think I’m nutty. Ever happen to you?

I also feel like if someone wants to hang with me they’ll ask. Maybe they feel the same way, so we just never get together. How silly would THAT be?

There are wonderful surprises when I stop myself from overthinking things and just reach out. New friendships to start and to grow. It really is so much better to try than to regret not ever branching out. I even find that, in the actual moment, I often feel the opposite of awkward.

Part of me felt like I needed to figure out who I’ve become since moving 1000 miles from home, just year prior to becoming a mother, before making new friends. But I just have to just be who I am now and things will fall into place. Besides, a good conversation can help you understand more of who you are.

So invite that mom and her little one over for a playdate! Meet them at the park! Maybe even go to the party! You just might be glad you did.