My Time Back In Maryland, And The End Of Another Chapter
Well, here we go again. I’m back in the familiar situation of closing one chapter and beginning another. It’s become a familiar part of my life over the past year and a half. Living my life in distinguishable “chapters” has had some tangible benefits though. The ability to compartmentalize, monitor my growth, and have different takeaways from each chapter has been an amazing tool for reflection. It’s really nice to be able to see where I’ve come and where I want to be going. I can tangibly track my progress, see what goals I met, what goals I need to re-address and begin to set new goals for the next chapter.
Before I start on what my goals are for Sedona, I have to give this chapter in Maryland its proper attention. First and foremost, it was really nice being back in a familiar place. Getting to see family and friends and just being in the area where I have made a lifetime of memories was very nostalgic. But for me, it was another chapter that had its ups and downs with plenty to reflect upon.
Firstly, I re-joined my old gym and officially entered my, “training for a half-marathon” era. This was my happy place in this chapter. I regimented my life so that I would wake up, have breakfast with the kids, and then we’d go to the gym. I found a deeper love and appreciation for running and I dove head first into it. I signed up for a race, got on a training program, changed my diet, and trained for performance. This taught me a ton about myself and showed me how far I could push my body. Training, eating and feeling like an athlete again at 38 years old has given me a different perspective as well. It’s given me new goals and it’s provided me more direction in my life. Physically, I feel better now than I’ve felt in my entire life.
A challenging part the Maryland chapter was the weather. I’ve never had seasonal depression as a Maryland resident. I’ve always enjoyed all the seasons. But once I left and traveled around the country and essentially skipped out on winter last year living in Arizona and Florida and the southern states, it was hard to be back here from Thanksgiving until now. This is probably another reason I sought solace in the gym. It was an escape from the perpetual gray skies, rain and muddy conditions outside. I think the time of year makes people hunker down at home and makes social gatherings a little more difficult.
The hardest thing about coming back to Maryland was thinking I would be able see people more frequently than I did. I was home for 3 months and I saw people less than a handful of times. Everyone is in their own groove, living in their own flow, and I completely understand. But at the same time, it was a lot harder to make things happen given the time of year it was. I think being here and not having our own space accentuates that fact. When everyone else is hunkered down enjoying cozy season, it felt a little confining or claustrophobic. In the end, I mainly took it as another sign that living in our own flow and moving back out west probably makes the most sense. Most of the triggers or signs that stuck out to me almost always lead me to follow the intuition to go west.
So, back to Sedona, AZ we go. At the end of next week, we’re heading back out west to settle down for awhile. I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter of my life. Being in a place that’s given me so much inspiration and clarity over the past year and a half is going to be so nice. There are aspects that are a little intimidating and some aspects are really comforting. I’m moving to Sedona with a head of steam like I’ve never had in my life. I feel like I’m running downhill because I’ve gained so much momentum being here in Maryland. I have so many projects I want to undertake. I want to get into the culture and community of Sedona, and I want to re-acquaint myself with nature. After being cooped up for the past 3 months, I’m about due for a little sunshine.
Although it’s a bit long winded, I’d recommend everyone break down their lives by the seasons to say the least. Fall and Spring seem to be the shortest seasons for those reading in the mid-atlantic, but you can break the year down and check in with yourself quarterly. When you think about life from that perspective, March is the end of the first quarter of 2023. What things do you want to accomplish? What are your goals? How can you get better at living your authentic life? Let’s set some goals and move through them together to make the remainder of 2023 your best yet.
As always, thanks for reading ✌️❤️🙏
