Dear diary,
As always, much has happened since I last wrote to you. The last six months have been a real twisty roller coaster ride. But in 4 days, we will finally be moving to our new home.
I am quite certain that many would agree, moving can prove to be a somewhat traumatic experience. With the preparations and staging, the many showings, hours house cleaning and then taking my 3 cats out in my car while attending a teams meeting, it has been a bit crazy. Oh, and let’s not forget while driving around during an open house, one cat decides it’s the perfect time to take a doody in the litter box in the trunk. All of that was happening during a very uncertain time in the real estate market, and honestly, it made for some stressful emotions.
It took 3 months to finally sell our house, which doesn’t sound that long, but during the day to day, it felt like an eternity. And lots of things went wrong in the process as well. It’s not on my list of fun things to do.
While we were doing all of that, we were trying to find an house to move to. In that process, I realized just what a snob for cleanliness I am and what a hate I have for carpet. I wondered if what we could accept would fit the budget. I was in turmoil. At one point, we found the most perfect place, we weren’t even out of the house when I started yelling, “start the paperwork! start the paperwork!” but that house had multiple offers and we didn’t get it.
Thank goodness, shortly after that we found a beautiful, renovated home with everything on our must have list.
Then it was all the packing. After living in this home for the last 10 years, it is easy to understand how we managed to collect so many things. I did a dumpster, we donated many things and all the while, I did enjoy the purging of random shit. I have developed a love for minimalism. My husband is the exact opposite in this regard, so I gave lots of time for him to come to terms with what was going to happen. And yes we still had some difficult and angry conversations while that shit went down. But we came out on top, almost on the other side now. We worked hard.
This week, I started to really think about leaving. Every morning for the last 2 weeks I have stared at the glossy photos of our new home in the listing booklet, sipping my coffee. I have been preparing myself, thinking about using the kitchen, sleeping in the bedroom, where I’ll do yoga. A flood of memories has been steadily entering my mind as I empty all the cupboards and go through my memory boxes, packing things up.
My daughter was 1 when we moved here and now she is 11 and my son is 9. This is the only home they know. I remember laying in my bed with my newborn son, nursing him and gazing down at his little body nestled up to mine. I remember when my daughter got her big girl bed and playing with her hair as she fell asleep. So many beautiful little things happened under this roof. As much as I am ready to move on to the next, my heart will shed a tear knowing that the sounds of running around these halls and rooms will soon be closed to us. My son’s first steps, my daughter’s first tooth coming out, those memories are tied to this home. It has been a good ride.
I will miss the park next door and doing yoga by the big cypress trees in my backyard. I will miss spending time with my brother while our kids are at BJJ and I’ll miss my mom being so close by. I will miss my sister in law, sweet niece and nephew. But I know there are new memories to be made. I will still see them, of course, because I will invite them over. It will not be as convenient, but it will be wonderful!
I am ready for this new chapter. As contradictory as it feels, nothing stays the same and we must adapt, making ready for change. It can feel a little scary and weird, but it will be what we make of it. And I am going to make it sensational!
I let go of this home, but take with me all the experiences shared within these walls. Hanging them up in the halls of my mind as beautiful memories, feeling lucky and grateful for all of it. Because I know that wherever I go will always be home with my family and kitties by my side.
With love,
Lisa xo
My So-Called Yoga Life 