My 6 Month Mark

It's hard to believe that 6 months have already gone by. I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, although (let's be honest) I haven't REALLY accomplished all that much. At this 6 month mark, I can't help but pause to reflect on: how far I have come, and what an interesting journey it has been.

Over 6 months ago I was READY! I had been saying my "good-byes" to friends, co-workers, familiar streets, local shops, and favorite haunts for a solid a month. I just needed my 6ft 3 brother AND his muscles to help load up the U-Haul and we'd be on our way! To, not necessarily greener pastures, but something new and different- and that was reason enough. I was anxious to begin a new chapter in my life. I had been very content living in Los Angeles for a long time, but circumstantially, I was at a crossroads in my life, and the move was a welcome change.

First of all, I was jaded. The LA nightlife, for me, had started to lose it's sparkle and shine. What at 18 had been glamorous, and thrilling, at 30something was feeling forced and tired. The mustachioed hipsters, were starting to annoy me, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to decipher a bearded, grime covered trust-fund kid from an actual, well, homeless person. I had been a true-blue club kid jumping from one music genre, scene, party and club for over 10 consecutive years. It had to get old some time, and it finally had.

Secondly, but more importantly, I REALLY missed my family. I had started to lose myself in the chaos, crowded streets and strangers in LA. I wanted to go back to what mattered at the end of the day, and be reminded of who I really was at the heart of it all. Those who knew me best, and saw right through my rock n roll haircuts, tattoos and other layers of trying-hard-to-be-different-hipster-dom.

So 6 months have passed, and here I am. valuable insights have I gained?
Here we go:

Lesson #1
WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE~
I think I might have thought (or secretly hoped) that once I moved 1,400 miles away from where I had lived for 30 odd years, that maybe I could start fresh; have a new beginning, and all my old problems would sort of go away- like sand drifting in the wind, settling in the desert to be forgotten. I quickly realized that much like a new haircut, or a new wardrobe, re-locating does not change much - as far as your heart and mind is concerned. I had left broken-hearted, full of insecurities and idiosyncrasies. Lo and behold, all my mind-baggage tagged along right with me; it did not disappear along the journey as I had hoped. I had to deal with and resolve each issue one, by one. The location was merely a backdrop to the real drama going on in my life.

Lesson #2
THE ART OF PORCHING~
This is not a well-known past time in LA. In LA, it's all about catching the latest, hippest, thing while it's HOT, before the "bridge and tunnel people" discover it, and it's no longer novel or cool anymore. In Tulsa, this is kind of a foreign concept. In my six months here, I have yet to stumble upon a difficult to-get-into club or restaurant, let alone any kind of velvet rope. What I've learned to do here is relax. Not take anything too seriously. Enjoy the scenery. The best place to be, is right where you are, with good friends, light-hearted conversation, ideally at sunset in someone's back porch, and most likely- a cool beverage in hand. I love it. Life doesn't get any better than that: taking in the simple pleasures in life, and savoring the moment.

Lesson #3
THE ART OF BEING A GOOD FRIEND~
Good friends are hard to come by. I think we can all agree on that.
One of the hardest things to let go of when I left LA, where the cherished friends I had to say good-bye too. It's not every day that you meet someone who knows you inside & out, good sides and bad, listens to your problems as if they were all life-threatening issues--and still loves you no matter what. I had that in LA, and I was concerned that finding friends in Oklahoma would be hard. I had no reason to worry. Little did I know that I would I meet many amazing, friendly, genuine, good-hearted, and certainly, good-friend worthy people. As the old adage goes, 'the only way to have a good friend is to be one'.  I have been blessed with many friends here in Tulsa, and I am so grateful. It's up to me now, to hold up my end of the bargain and be a good friend right back.

In summary, I still have a long way to go, as far as getting myself settled here. Ahem, finding a good job, and going back to school to pursue my new career path. (I'm working on that too.) But I think the most important thing I can say is that even though I have days where I really, really miss the old and familiar, I am VERY glad that I moved here. I know, with my whole heart, that I made a good decision, and I have not regretted it.  I feel like I have more growing to do, and more lessons to learn.
And...(say it with an Okie accent), all the growin' and the learnin' are happening in the right place.