When in Rome…

As many of you know (or previously read, hopefully!), I recently moved out of the state that I was born in, raised in, and pretty much where I thought I would retire in. I haven’t had time to post, because of my type-A personality to make sure everything in our new home was situated in, I don’t know, a week. Needless to say, it’s been a pretty stressful time. I woke up yesterday morning, trying to determine if it’s all been worth it. I’m kind of a results-now type of person, you know? So far, the negatives have far outweighed the positives, but I always try to turn every negative into a learning opportunity, regardless of how much I seem to complain about it. Verbalizing how I feel is just my way of trying to figure out how to deal with whatever issue I’m stressing over. Of course, I love to share all of my learning with you, and I’ve narrowed my teaching moment to just five things I’ve experienced and am learning about myself and life.

1. Every DMV sucks, no matter what state it’s in.

No like, seriously. When you get there, and take a number, and they call in in about ten minutes, you think you’re all set. You get excited. You can’t wait to brag to people how quickly you got in and out of the DMV. That is, until you get to the counter, and they tell you they just called you up to tell you that you have to wait. Or you need something additional. Or they just hate you.

2. Basements are actually more useful than you realize. 

In the northeast, everyone has a basement. Even apartment buildings have basements. You move down south, into a house or apartment that’s bigger than your current home, and you’re like, yeah, I got it made. Look at all this space, and all this money I’m saving! And then you get there, and realize that your basement back home, which was the size of your entire living space back home, had stuff in it. And now you have nowhere to put said stuff.

3. If you need it, it’s probably still packed away in a mis-marked box. Under several other boxes. In storage. 

I’ve only been here about a month, and I’m already sick of not being able to find stuff I need. We had the privilege of having our things packed by “professional” movers. They packed stuff, labeled it, and then sealed it up. Problem was, they labeled everything in my house as “kitchen/pots and pans”. Guess what 85% of the stuff in those boxes AREN’T? Yeah.

4. Don’t depend on your phone’s GPS feature. 

It’s a new place, you’ve never driven in it before, and you probably don’t have a mount for your GPS. If you’re like me, you’re holding the wheel with one hand while you’re holding your phone with the other (because someone is too cheap to get a dashboard mount). Hey, did you know that was dangerous? And did you know that your phone can frequently lose the GPS signal, and send you turning into something that’s not even an exit? Go get a Tom-Tom. 

5. You’re not the only non-native out here. 

I’m your typical New Englander that doesn’t like to make small talk with strangers, for the most part. However, since I’ve moved here, I’ve become a regular old Chatty Cathy. I talk to the man at the small bakery, the cashier at the Publix, and the barista at the local cafe about how new I am here (hopefully all of this over sharing won’t cause someone to follow me home). What I’ve learned though is that practically no one that lives here is actually from here, so don’t be so nervous. Kind of gives it that “we’re all in this together” feeling. Until you cut me off on the highway.