Here we are...now what?

About a month ago, I walked away from a job I have had my entire professional career.  I said goodbye to my friends, my house and the town I had lived in for all of my adult life.  (Well, all of my responsible, job-holding, bill-paying life.  Life in college does not count as responsible, job-holding or bill-paying).

My husband and I loaded our three kids and everything we owned and set off on the great adventure --to live near the ocean.  The great unknown.  The great crazy as many of my friends have called it.  We moved our family more than 900 miles (947, in fact) to live somewhere we have only known as tourists.  We don't have a lot of family here, we don't have any friends here, and we don't have jobs here.  Are we brave?  Or are we crazy?  Maybe a little of both.  I have often thought it takes a little crazy to be brave. To step into the unknown.  To take a chance.

We have always wanted to live near the beach.  To be able to walk in the sand whenever we want.  To not have to shovel snow in the winter.  To be warm.  We have said "someday" for years.  For many years.  Finally, you have to decide;  when is it your "someday"?

Today is our "someday".  (To be honest, a month ago was our "someday", but give me a little license here.  You know, boxes, computers that don't work right away, internet service taking a while to get hooked up).  So, we said good-bye to the snowy Golden Dome of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana and headed for our favorite beach; Sunset Beach, North Carolina.  (OK, close to our favorite beach, 6 miles away in Carolina Shores.  I moved, I didn't win the lottery.  So we don't live "on" the beach.  But pretty darn close.)

So, as I sit in a still chaotic house, with many yet-to-be unpacked boxes, I have to figure out how to live a new life here.  How to find my new normal.  How to help my kids find their new normal.  How to make my marriage find its new normal.

Am I a tourist?  No.  I live here now.  I still have to remind myself of that.

Am I a local? No.  I still get turned around trying to find the closest grocery store.

I am somewhere in between tourist and local....the journey begins...