Starting Over

Can't believe it has been 17 months since we moved away from everyone and everything I've ever known. Time sure does fly whether your having fun or not.
It wasn't fun leaving everyone behind. It was exciting to start a new adventure though. I moved to a State that snows in the winter, Imagine that! And the temps in the winter sure can and does get cold. Like the kind of cold that leads to frostbite, yeah that kind of cold! I learned that cotton kills. Polyester has become a new must have. Cotton's for the summer. Even then, you don't wear much of it because in this wonderful State I moved to also gets hot in the summer. Which I love because this means kayaking or swimming at the lake or riding my ATV! I think they call them Quads here or was that in California? I know they call Snowmobiles, sleds here. They also continue to call the little plastic things we use to sit on and go down a snowy slope a sled as well. So if you say "Let's take our sleds out," it could mean either one here in Idaho. I can only afford the plastic one.
We came with almost just the shirts on our backs. Okay I am exaggerating, but we did sell mostly all our furniture and bought new ones here.
I did not know a soul here other than my family that moved with me. You know, it is not easy to meet someone? I mean you can't just go up to someone and say "Hi, want to be my friend?" I visited a few churches and the people were nice but even then you can't go up to someone after church and shake their hand and say "Hi, want to be my friend?" I would have to join some type of small group. I didn't know the new church long enough to make a decision if I wanted to plant myself there. So I didn't want to commit to a small group.
So my husband, my son and I joined  Search and Rescue. I figured I would get busy being trained to search for lost people all alone on some mountain like I was feeling. Yes, I was feeling lost and alone.  Strange emotions since I was happy I moved here. I loved my new town. But without friendships you don't feel like you are living in your town but simply visiting.
I needed to make friends or I wasn't going to feel connected. I needed to feel connected. With my personality ( I am an extrovert), I wouldn't be fulfilled and happy unless I had people I could actually bump into that I knew at Wamart or Winco or somewhere.
I began to make the effort to talk to the few women I met at Search and Rescue. Made plans to go out to dinner with a few of the couples and that led to meeting in our homes. One of my new friends invited a couple they knew from outside Search and Rescue and we became friends. I ended up meeting this new friend's sister and we became friends. See the ripple effect?
You have to make the effort though. Get to know them. Find something you both have in common and invite then to do that with you.
Starting over is not easy. I have learned and am learning alot about myself. The good and the bad. You do that when you have time to reflect.
Being a extrovert meant nothing in meeting new people. Everyone has a space that you are not allowed to be in unless invited in. I am sitting in a Starbucks as I type and there is a 2 person table right in the middle of a few other ones. It has been empty. The place gets packed but no one sits at that table. It is too close to the customers to the right and left of it. You see? Space.
I have learned to meet friends you have to swim in the tide. Find the perfect tide. A church group or like I did Search and Rescue. Then the ripple effect once you meet someone who knows someone who knows, well you get the idea.
Doesn't matter your personality. You have to put in the effort. I can say it has been worth it for me. I have met amazing people who are now becoming amazing friends.
I finally feel like I live here. Really live here. This is my town, my community!
Anyone can start over. Whatever the reasons to have to start over it can be done and can be the best decision you ever made as well. I always say this, "You only get ONE life!" so live it with as much peace and joy and happiness as you can. And if that means starting over like it meant for us. Then I can say it is worth it!