Embracing Change: The Journey of Early Retirement and Starting Over

Ah, Change! Some people love it. Some people hate it.

I would say I generally like change. I thrive on change, and find refreshment in things like the first day at a new job, the start of a new school year, joining a new gym, or moving to a new home. That's a good thing because I just recently uprooted my life and moved over 500 miles.

It's not the first time I've made this kind of move. I moved from Ohio in 2003 to Connecticut and built a good life there. But in the past several years, as I was approaching the possibility of early retirement, my eyes started to wander to foreign lands like the Midwest, with all its promises of peaceful, rolling landscapes, wide open spaces, and affordable living.

Enjoying the pace

I have been in Ohio now for about 30 days. So far, so good. I do miss my friends, and parts of the life I built out east, but now that I'm past the frantic pace of unpacking, getting my driver license, address changes and shopping for new bathroom rugs, I am beginning to feel pretty happy and relaxed. It's really nice here.

Connections Matter

I do have my partner, a couple of great friends that I've known for a long time, and all my hobbies to keep me engaged. I haven't returned to making art yet and I still feel like a newbie in the music world out here. I know I am being impatient about that. It will all come together in time. But, I know it won't be the same, either. I had a really good thing going in Connecticut with my acoustic duo, Me & D. We were really good. Our friends and fans that came to the shows were like family. The same with my art club.

But so far, I am feeling energized with this change of scenery. I have my first Ohio gig since the move tomorrow night. I'm a little nervous, but in a good way. I think I just feel a bit nervous because it's important to me. And I won't have my old bandmate to lean on if I get lost. I will be looking to my friends to pull me through if I get stage-fright.

Some Changes are Harder

The other change that has been hard has been my website. I still have the same web address that I have had for years, but I accidentally blew up my whole site last week and I have been frantically working to recreate everything. No, I did not back anything up. No, I do not have any copies of anything anywhere. And no, I do not have any coding or design skills. It's all going to be okay. Breathe.

What Do You Think?

Have a look around my site. Let me know what you think. As for my Blog, I figured I would just write this quick note here today. I will try to repost some of my old blogposts if I find any of them. But my intention is to blog here more regularly. I'm not sure what I will write about. I just enjoy writing. Even if I only have a couple of readers.

Do you have anything you would want me to share? My plans for this blog involve musings about creativity, the local arts and music scene, my fitness journey, the move to Ohio, retirement, or just my own art and music. Please let me know what interests you.