It’s time for several random observations, because that’s where I am right now.
- The hardest part of moving somewhere new after being somewhere for a long time? For me it’s been that every single thing I do is a conscious act. It was possible in Salt Lake for me to zone out and remember nearly nothing of my drive to and from work…going to Whole Foods was pretty well an autopilot activity…I would head out for a six mile run and suddenly be back at the house with the run done…everything was routine, perhaps even automatic. Now, not so much, though I know at some point some of those things will start feeling easier (or at least will require less cognitive bandwidth). I do think that in general I’m down to using Google maps a few times a week, as opposed to multiple times each day. It’s a start.
- I miss quite a few people, and I miss some aspects of the “old” job. Overall, though, I am loving the new work adventure, and I really love Columbus/ Worthington. The change has been good for me. It was time for new challenges.
- My biggest source of normalcy outside of the house and the menagerie? Unsurprisingly, it’s been running, and I’ve only made one route error wrong turn since arriving here (and it wasn’t dangerous, just took me on a bit of an adventure, and was easily righted with Google maps). Today was the first run I’ve “dropped” since sometime in the winter, and the only reason I dropped it is because I have an injured ankle. I had some hopes for a triathlon this summer (ha!), but adding swimming and biking in to my schedule along with learning all of my new jobs would be about two too many things. So, in summary, running = normal. And, as ever, a source of sanity.
- When I’m in the midst of a flurry of academic activity with lots of writing and editing and writing and thinking and writing, the blog seems to go by the wayside. The good news is that I need the blog less to keep my writing skills up when I’m doing copious professional writing. The bad news is that I miss the creative outlet. Missing that creative outlet is why you, dear reader, are the beneficiary of tonight’s brain dump.
- Tonight’s blog title is courtesy of Miranda Lambert’s song “Automatic”, in case you were wondering where it came from.