Thoughts on living the dream.

When you make the leap into something new and unknown, you always wonder. Wonder if you'll be happy. Wonder if it will be everything you hoped it would be. You spend a great deal of time holding your breath; steeling yourself for the homesickness or disappointment or inevitable Did I do the right thing? moments.

Here we are, entering week twelve of our new life, and I can honestly say moving to the Pacific Northwest was the best decision we could have made for our family. The house, the school, the culture... we were absolutely meant to be here.

Finding happiness, contentedness, is something to celebrate. Especially if you weren't sure it was possible.

As we move into the cooler fall weather, and our new normal feels more normal, I still find myself in awe that we made this leap. In the months and years leading up to The Move, it all felt more like a pipe dream than a plan. But we did it.

Friday evening we got word: the sale of our New Hampshire house was finalized. It was the one thing that prevented us from truly moving on. Oh, the heartache and stress that poor house caused.

The moment the ink dried on those documents, we were able to literally and figuratively close the door on that chapter in our lives.

And while I desperately miss my weekly coffee date with friends, and the sense of community we found in our last couple years living there, it isn't goodbye. I'll go back from time to time, I'm sure, but as I walk the streets of New England, I will no longer feel trapped. 

I now accept that period for what it was: an important leg of our journey. A necessary one, I've come to realize.  I no longer view it through a fog of discontent; returning will be a happy thing.

Although I still spend some days fretting about this and that, for the most part life is good. When you find the place you're meant to be, things just seem more effortless. You relax a little, opening yourself up to bigger and better things. Life feels less temporary, so you start living with intention.

You lift your vision board off the page and start making it happen.

This is not to say everything smells like roses all the time. Parenting, marriage and pursuing that dream career all take work. Some days, hard work.

If it were easy to become your best self, living your best life, it'd be difficult to recognize (or appreciate) when you actually achieve it.

These are the things I ponder when I lay in bed on a lazy Sunday morning.

And because I aspire to see the glitter in the sidewalk, here are a few of the things that make life grand:

Coffee table dinners + family movie night.

This kid.

This cider, shared with Husband. [It is good.]

This Anthropologie candle. [I seldom get excited about fancy candles, but this one wooed the heck out of me.]

The discovery of blue pumpkins. Enough said.

These Bucketfeet shoes that arrived just moments before we left for Sam Smith. It was a rookie move wearing brand new shoes to a concert, but these bad boys left nary a blister. Seriously stellar footwear.

My first mums. Ever.

Vista, the heated blanket.

This guy. He's such a card. [Also, note to selves: splitting an order of biscuits and gravy is still too much food.]

Apples + peanut butter.

Kiddo's love of sushi, which lends itself to mother/son date nights.

What are you loving? (Look on the bright side!)