The right decision
I’m almost two months into my time in Minneapolis, and a thought keeps surfacing: did I make the right decision?
Because I didn’t just move here – I moved here. I quit my job and took another one. I sold my house and bought another one. I drove everything I own across the country, moved it into a storage unit then out of a storage unit, and have spent all of August arranging it in my new abode – all of which makes me never, ever want to move again. I’ve started the long and sometimes exhausting process of making new friends. I spent thousands of dollars to make this change.
What if I shouldn’t have?
Well, I did. And because I did, it was the right decision – because now it’s my path and my story and good things are going to come out of it (along with hard things – but that’s anywhere, isn’t it?). No matter how I want to revise the past in my mind, the truth is that despite all of the goodness Colorado offered me – and there was a lot – I was restless in Denver. I felt that my season there had run its course, and that a move might fix everything that I felt was wrong with my life.
Haha.
I’m sure you saw this coming: Now that I’m in a new city, new house, new job, and with new people, I’m still me. I’m still the cantankerous, overly particular, often dissatisfied curmudgeon that I’ve always been. This move did not fix me.
But that doesn’t mean that it was a mistake.
If you’re in a similar place today, second- and third-guessing a certain decision you’ve made, take it from me: you are not powerful enough to sink your life. No decision you make has the power to sink your story.
In the end, if everything turns to rubbish, we can change it. No decision is ever so final that we can’t undo it (said the girl who just moved her entire life across the country, signed away some percentage of a million dollars on a house, got a Minnesota drivers license and license plates, and bought a damn $250 DEHUMIDIFIER for her basement to keep her house from mildew-ing).
It’s the right decision because it’s what we’ve chosen. Steady on – you’re in the middle of living a really good story.
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P.S. – Lest you get the idea that I hate my life right now, WORRY YE NOT. I’ll soon tell you about all of the things I am loving about Minneapolis. I’ve been here almost eight weeks, so I’m basically an expert. In the meantime, a girl has to have her feelings – so thank you for indulging me. Snuggle snuggle.
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tags: Annie Parsons | Change | Denver | Emotions | Foxy | Minneapolis | Moving
As someone who has moved (houses, cities, countries, or all of the above) at least every 2 years for the last 13 years of my life, these sentiments resonate deeply. “I felt that my season there had run its course, and that a move might fix everything that I felt was wrong with my life.” Isn’t it disappointing to find the same you on the other side of the move? Thanks for the encouragement that it is all part of our story. Here’s to new places, new adventures, and to meeting someday IRL!
Moving is SO hard. Like, way harder than marriage or parenting or graduating from school or being kick-ass at work… At least in my opinion. So you go, my friend! Keep being brave and doing hard things! You are awesome and I love you.
As someone who picked up her entire life at 44 and moved 2000 miles away to a place where she knew ONE person, I can tell you the comfort and lesson I learned was – you can always go back. To wherever. Whenever. And that made it so much easier to ease into my new place. Which place now misses you terribly, but loves to see you in a new adventure! Hugs my brave, creative, loving friend!
I have always said, the saving grace in my life is that I’m not alone in the driver’s seat. God will put up road blocks to keep me from running it all off the road no matter how hard I try.
It’s what keeps a control freak like me from having a nervous breakdown at every major decision.
Love that quote “you can’t sink your life.”
Staring at this decision again for the umpteenth time in my life, these are wise and needed words. Thanks, Annie! (And sometimes the decision to stay is just as scary as the decision to go!)
Love this and love you!
GET OUT OF MY HEAD, ANNIE! Solidarity, sister. This is exactly how I feel about all of it. This was my next right step and we’ll see where and when the next right step leads.
You’re great. So glad you’re here. You know. In MN.
That’s all I got right now.
Oh, and… Let’s do another snack dinner and wine night soon, k? You’re welcome down in the ‘burbs, too.
p.s. Bring spare LARABARs.
Did you write this at your cute new DESK?!
Oh, I hear this. Moving and upending your life and making new friends is HARD. But you’re right – it all becomes part of our story. Love to you.
I recognize some of those sentences ;-)
Ahh I just moved the other way-from Illinois to Colorado. I had the same stirring. I knew my time there was up. The transition has been hard but I’m hoping it’s the right choice. Maybe that’s just a decision on my part, though?
Thank you for you words today.