It Takes Time to Build a Life

When you move to a new place, you can't expect to build a new life for yourself overnight. No matter how welcoming the neighbors are, it takes years to really create a social environment for yourself.

I never realized just exactly how many people I had gotten to know and appreciate in our last home town. The people at the grocery store knew me, and some actually cared about me and my family. My mechanic knew me and would go out of his way to get my van in at a moments notice. My pharmacist knew me and offered thoughtful advice, sometimes not even pertaining to prescriptions, etc. The school crossing guard knew us all by name, genuinely cared about us and cried when we told her we were moving. I had connections for everything and knew just who to call when my washer needed immediate attention. I miss each and every one of those people.

Now when I need something, I don't know who to call. When I grocery shop, I wander around the store quietly and nod and smile at the strangers who pass by. I miss the familiarity of our old town. 

All of this said, I love our new home town. I wake up every morning and walk our nutty dog along the waterfront. There isn't a trace of snow in town and winters are much milder here. Our neighbors are wonderful and introduced themselves the very first day we arrived. I'm still not sure that our older neighbors even knew our names. Most importantly, living in our new home means that my family all lives under one roof and we have breakfast and dinner together every single day of the week. For those who know me, you will realize how huge a novelty this is for my family.

So, although I am sad to leave behind many years of my life, I am so grateful and blessed to be where I am now. Building a life takes time and I'm more than willing to put in the work.