Making way for the new

This weekend, I'm working on making room for the "new" but it's not without it's intrapersonal challenges (meaning "within myself").

Today's first challenge - I'm still shedding my old Seattle tendencies.

It's amazingly sunny and warm outside today. The pool (off my back porch) is alive with a bunch of kids swimming and playing. It's awesome. I'm inside with all (both) the windows open, enjoying the sun and the sounds. No TV or radio. Just the sounds of people enjoying themselves. It feels a lot like vacation (or what I imagine vacation would feel like). My old Seattle tendency is to run out and enjoy it because it never lasts long enjoy. In Seattle the sun is so rare and tomorrow could very likely be grey, cold and rainy AGAIN.  Rather than give into this urge to run out and exhaust myself trying to soak it up quickly, I'm reminding myself that I actually live here.

Yes, I have to tell myself that all the time...."I actually live here." I don't seem to believe it quite yet. It's like Costco or the airlines are going to call me any minute and ask me where the hell I am. I'm late for work or a flight or something and need to get my ass "home" to Seattle right away. That's when the self-therapy starts... but "I actually live HERE."

Honestly, I need to give myself a break. My sister went home last Saturday. Yes, it's only been 7 days (... 7 blurry days) that I've been here on my own. The days she spent here were like vacation so I can't count those and honestly I can't count Sat - Tues cause it wasn't reality either. So... it's been 3 days of real life in S. CA. Guess I can give myself a break for it still feeling weird after only 3 days.

Anyway... so rather than feel guilty that I'm not out playing in all the sunshine today, I'm reminding myself that it's only April. Summer is coming and I have a lot to adjust to and organize around here before I get distracted by all the frivolity going on in the area.

For context - The Newport Beach Film Festival starts this weekend, I was invited to go out boating this afternoon (passed), I have a surprise birthday party to attend tonight (going) and tomorrow night I'm having dinner with some new acquaintances (ok...I like dinner).

Did I mention I've been here about a week, been at my job 3 days and really don't know anyone who lives here, except casually? Apparently nobody has to worry about me being lonely living here. Wow!!

So, I'm hunkering down and dealing with the remaining distractions from my past life. Or, more accurately, clearing out those things I thought I needed or wasn't ready to deal with until now. Mind you, it's not physical stuff. I cleared most of that out over the last 12 months as I've downsized and moved repeatedly. It's digital stuff or mental stuff. It's ideas and organizations that continue to pull on my mental energy but don't really serve the direction that I'm taking my life.

And it's pervasive...
And it's insidious...
And it's got to go...

So here's the plan so far:

Step 1 - Ridding myself of all the online "junk mail" that I don't need. (Mental freedom!!)
Step 2 - Finally dealing with the last lingering chore I have to take care of to be a California resident - my drivers license and register my car. Ugh. (Appointment for Thursday. Check!)
Step 3 - Review all this life stuff that keeps piling up in my mailbox (medical (old & new), 401(k) rollovers, etc.) Lots of little things with timelines that I can't put off too long or it just becomes an even bigger issue. I just have to open the envelopes and deal. Maybe I'll treat myself to a box of wine and just get down to it next to the pool?

Because I'm basically an overgrown 12 year old, I can't handle more than 3 things at a time. Never have been able to. (Yes, 3 is a magic number for all my fellow Schoolhouse Rock fans.) So I'll just start there and knock one off the list before I add any more.

You know everything I ever learned was from television so as my friends Rudolph, Hermie and Yukon Cornelius sang, "Just put one foot in front of the other" and I'll get there eventually.