Silver Linings and Palm Tree Wishes

By now you all know that I am back in the frozen tundra of New England, if even for just a short time longer.  You also know just how much that makes me wonky.  Having grown up in New England, I can say without reservation, that it's not an easy place to live.  The cost of living is high, traffic is a nightmare, tourists suck, and the seasons....well, don't get me started on "seasons".  As I've journeyed more and more into adulthood, I've come to realize that I do not like the season.  Nope, not one bit.  Oh, sure all you NE-enders will say, "oh, it's so beautiful in the fall" and "the snow is really beautiful when it's coming down" and "we do have perfect summers here".  I call bullshit!  I can look at photos of fall, winter and even New England summer til my teeth fall out and there is absolutely nothing that makes me want to be back experiencing it. Not one thing.  I truly believe that I was supposed to be born on an island.  I swear, in another lifetime I was a Polynesian Hula Girl!  I really do believe that.  I love everything about island life.  I love the constant weather and temps (even though many of you know I complain come October that it's freezing).  I'll take island "freezing" over flipping New England freezing any day!  I love the small island feel - never going to get island fever in this girl.  I love the island pace - yes, I do complain when contractors are on island-time, but whatevah!  I even like the island lingo - though, I turn to mush when a Bostonian comes to town!  So what am I leading into with this post?  My silver linings.

Before I get to the silver, let me just say that not much good happens for me in New England.  My nerves get all twisty.  My sleeps disappears.  My stomach turns to mush.  Just bad for me all around.  I'm anxious enough on a good island day, put me in New England and is no wonder I didn't get me a script for Ativan last January.  Hmmmm, maybe I should have thought of that.  Anyway, it's not a self-fulfilling prophecy for all you finger-waggers out there.  It's a fact.  Bad things happen when I come to the east coast.  So, I will do my best to not come back once I leave here for my little island Paradise #2.  Oh, I'll visit from time to time, but no more extended stays here for me.  I fall quickly into that fear of the unknown when I'm here.  I suppose I can analyze that in another post, but for now, lets just say I get all wiggedy here.

During my time here, I have come to find some silver linings, the positives, the good stuff.  I try to look for them in everything.  Sometimes they are blatantly obvious, sometimes, I have to search with everything I've got.  One of the first silver linings, and probably the best one for me, is that I actually search for them in the first place.  Think about it.  I sit here in my gray-day, New England funk, day in and day out, and I actually have the wherewithal to look for something good in my life.  That truly takes a lot for a person like me.  There was a time, when I would just be the Negative Nellie and mope.  Now, I at least snap out of it enough to look for something good.  I also have the added advantage of being 20 minutes from my favorite, crystally guru acupuncturist.  She always puts a calm in my heart and helps me to find my center.  Each. And. Every. Time.  Now that's a silver lining!

The most obvious of all the silver linings is my family and friends.  I love them all to death.  I miss my niece and nephews to the moon and back, but know that even if I did move to the east coast permanently, they are at that place in life where Auntie is in the wayyyy backseat to sports, friends, school and all things social.  I'm okay with that because it means they are growing up.  One day in the future I'll get that phone call asking if they can come spend the summer with me between semesters in college.  That day, I just can NOT wait for!  My friends and I get that time to just grab a glass of wine or coffee, and if I'm really lucky, a 3 1/2 hour lunch!

Social media is great for keeping in touch, but there really is something to be said for grabbing lunch with an old friend and just talking directly to one another.  I can ask questions and get immediate responses.  I can also gauge, first-hand, if things are really as they appear on FaceBook or Twitter.  I know that they are okay, and that settles my heart.  If they happen to be in a bad time of their lives, I have the privilege of actually being right there in front of them, to lend that shoulder, hug or shopping trip!  Skype and FaceTime can't do that.

I love that there are really totally different worlds from one place to the next.  East coast living is so open and spread out.  There's just stuff everywhere.  Not so on the islands.  It's not deserted, but there's not a major shopping mall around every corner.  Nope, no TJMaxx where I'm going.  No Walmart or Old Navy either.  While there are modern conveniences, there are definitely big differences between island and mainland "stuff" (There isn't even a major highway on the little rock I'm heading to).  There's so many differences, that it has taken me this whole year to finally feel like I combed every nook and cranny of Maine/New Hampshire where I was.  Now, I get to hit all of my old favorite spots here in my hometown - if they are still here, and check out many of the new things that have popped up since I've been gone.  All while getting to see and spend time with those in my heart.  I even get to stop in and check on my Nana.  I know that it's just a "place" and she's always with me, but sometimes it's just nice to be right there.  Yep, silver linings.

Even simple things like time zones are a silver lining to being here on the east coast.  Where I'm heading next is going to pose a challenge for family, friends and I to keep up via FT and phone calls.  (The arrow in the photo above is pointing to Paradise#2).  We'll have to balance time carefully each month or so just to get an hour of air time in.  So, I'll try my best to get in touch with everyone before I head out.  Funny how we take time for granted.  We just "fell back" and I'm still trying to get used to that one hour!

I really try to count my blessings each and every day.  I have so many.  As I sit here totaling up my east coast silver linings, I'm forced to reflect on what is to come for me.  I'm probably one of the most blessed people in the Universe.  I get to move to a gorgeous tropical island.  I get to travel to places I have only seen on my bucket list.  I get to make more of my dreams come true all while being with the man I love.  Making memories is amazing.  I don't want to sit behind a cameral the whole time, but I sure can tell you that you'll reap some of the benefits I will have, even if only through photos.  I'll continue to tell my story, and learn more and more about myself and my strengths and weaknesses.  I'll continue to be forced to  live outside my comfort zone, and open my eyes to amazing adventures that await me!

Life's a beach, and then you live on one...