Hemming and hawing about this next iteration of blogging...
Let's try this. I'm thinking I will check in weekly to provide an update on the transition from 66 years and three generations of Californian to A WHOLE NEW UNFAMILIAR LIFE. Starting with what it was like to be 5 miles away from DC on January 6 (Epiphany, by the way). And what an epiphany it was; the best day of democracy and the worst day of democracy all on the same day. Even though we were not in any way directly affected, it helped me to understand why 9/11 felt so different to New Yorkers than to Californians. There is something eerie about being that close to such unbridled violence.
Alexandria turns out to be the perfect place to have landed for two Bay Area natives (technically Thomas isn't a native; but a resident for just shy of 50 years). Alexandria is to DC as Oakland is to San Francisco. It's a city with charming pockets of neighborhoods, fantastic shopping and great restaurants we hope to some day dine in. We are in a particularly charming neighborhood called Rosemont. We are one mile from Old Town, and to get there, we walk by brick homes and row houses some of which have been here since the late 1600's. We get to walk everywhere because it is so urban and everything we need is within a mile. So that is bad news for those tenacious Covid pounds I have acquired but good news for my Spring wardrobe.
We have spent the last month adjusting in so many ways.
We are still adjusting to the time change. It's not that our bodies are tired or confused. It is more that we just stayed on California time in some way, so we are retiring later and rising later each day. No longer will anyone ever be able to make fun of me for being in bed by 9 and getting up at 6 even if I had no early morning plans. Partly, though, that is because the shift to seeing clients in California when I am on Eastern time means I rarely see anyone before noon.
We are adjusting to the weather. Not a difficult adjustment so far. We are far enough south that we rarely have snow (although it did snow lightly on Christmas morning!). It's in the 30's and 40's most days. Some days it is spectacularly sunny and much more often than California, it rains. But old habits die hard and I still can't let myself take a long shower. Even when we were in Connecticut for a week at the end of December the cold wasn't difficult. The natural beauty, the water everywhere and my really great coat have mitigated any difficulty with the cold. Although, I have yet to drive in or shovel snow so the jury is still out.
We are adjusting to being a multi-generational household. When we first arrived and frantically started unpacking boxes we had a week of "oh my God, is this gonna work?". I had a severe allergic reaction and had to be banned to my bedroom basically for two weeks. At first we thought it was the dogs but now I know it isn't because I am feeling good again. This adjustment is one we had not really anticipated. Basically, Thomas and I have invaded Hilary and Nate's space that they have lived in for 5 months before us. We invaded with ourselves and our stuff. But, we are also so enjoying each others' company. Likely the loneliness of Covid has something to do with that but not all. We eat dinner together every night and play a game after dinner most nights. We coordinate our grocery shopping, our cooking, our cleaning, and we have learned how to be honest about our needs for privacy. It is very different to share a home with adult children who have no stake in proving how different they are from you. We have made a decision moving forward ~ after our lease is up we are looking for a property where we can live side by side (or bottom and top, which is more likely). Best of both worlds.
And finally, Thomas and I are adjusting to everything being so different, feeling so foreign. As exciting as an adventure is we are slowly awakening to the realization that this is not just an adventure; this is our new life. For two people who have spent so much of our lives together feeling a sense of choice and control, this is an awakening. A beautiful, terrifying existential moment of letting go and attempting to welcome all that is new to us.
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