Chapter 2: A Life In Motion

Chapter 2: A Life In Motion

As inspiring as all this change sounds on the surface, the mechanics were way more involved. My old life ended in mid July of 2013. It would be three months before we would land at our final destination. There were logistics to be worked out to be sure but most of the delay was caused by my own inability to act due to the fear and uncertainty that such an endeavor represented. Like most middle aged men, the idea of change scared the shit out of me. Oh sure, intellectually it made perfect sense but in the real world it was a horse of a different color. The only time I had attempted something that extreme was when I was in my twenty’s and in the Marines. It wasn’t nearly as complex. I had one other person with me, and a whole lot less responsibility.

I had amassed a huge amount of things in thirty years of living and the task of downsizing it seemed too huge to be done. So I put it off…and I put it off…and I put it off. I guess the crazy part of me was hoping it was going to take care of itself. Of course it didn’t and it wasn’t until we got into crunch time that I really start to move. Ironically, it didn’t take nearly as long to get rid of as I thought it would. It was very hard and emotional though. I sold my cars, my tools, and all of the things that I thought were so important. When I piled it all up I had two of a lot of things and had to come to grips with the fact that I had some hoarder in me. It did eventually get done and we had that final moment in our house where my wife and I were looking at each other with tears in our eyes and thanking God for all the wonderful memories and miracles that he had created for us in the house. The last thing I said to her in that house was “let’s get out of here.” And with those final words, we climbed into our newly purchased RV and we left Florida.

The part that I would want you to walk away with here is that any time you think about doing something as radical as moving across the country after you leave a job is that it’s hard. No two ways about it. There will never be anything easy about cramming your life into a cube and heading down the road. If you think about it too much you will never do it. Whenever I told anyone what I was doing they all said the same thing without exception: “I wish I could do that.” Well you can.

I see people every day that hate their lives, hate their jobs, and hate their realities. The sad part is that they will never change them. The sadder part is that life is so incredible short and if you aren’t living it you’re wasting it. I used to tell my children the only thing you have in this world that has any real value is your time. It’s the one thing you can never get back so spend it wisely and never waste it or allow anyone else to do so. That’s another one of those things that looks great on paper but is really hard to pull together in reality. So many of us want to play it safe and not step outside our comfort zone.

As I right these words I am five days in Portland and I am way outside my comfort zone. I don’t know what I am going to do yet, I carry a lot of anxiety, and I worry about what tomorrow is going to bring. BUT I did the right thing and I know that things will work themselves out and that I will find my way in this new reality. If it was easy anyone would do it. 

Everyone should but they won’t because it’s hard. I would encourage you to take a look at your reality and really evaluate where you stand. Are you truly happy? If not, do you have the courage to live your life on your terms the way you want? Remember what I said about time and that it is finite…