Tuesday 20 January 2009

No Sympathy - Just an ear (or is it eye?)

My family and I are nomads from way back. From the time I was born (in Gatton, don't tell too many people) until now I have lived in ..... let me count..... a total of 17 different houses (make that 18 next week). My mum has had it worse. In her life time, add (I think) approximately 20 more houses.

Mum once told me that after having her father move the family around so much, she vowed to stay in the one place for her entire married life. BOY did she marry the wrong person. Dad seems to have a veritable bug up his you know what - to give him props, he is always trying to find a better job to give us a better quality of life - and can't seem to live in one place for more than five years. We have lived in one place for longer than that, but I'm sure it was killing him.

So with all this history and with moving in my gene pool, you would think that I am used to it. I am (just quietly) proud of my efficient packing skills. I am brilliant at determining the future worth of an article. I also seem to have an ability to not grow attached to too many things (including my unborn child, but that's a different story for another time - no, I am not pregnant). You see, I KNOW that more stuff means a more painful move.

Now, you remember how I just said that mum vowed never to move? Well, in my stupidity and young naivety, I vowed that I would never marry an American. That's right. NEVER.

Life lesson learned: Never vow... or NEVER say Never

I love Dal. Plain and simple. If I wasn't head over heels in love with him, I would never had said yes to his proposal in the Seattle Space Needle. You can imagine the problems that came with that proposal. In which country are we getting married? Which country are we going to live? How are we going to afford keeping in touch with family? etc.

Fortunately, things just seem to work out for us - it's a gift that we have. And because things just work out for us, we are moving to the US in July. There are parts of this move that get me excited and I usually focus all my energy on my excitement.

BUT this week, my emotions have said ENOUGH! No more bottling things up - we are coming out whether you like it or not! It has been crazy. It seemed to come from nowhere. I have been very tender emotionally and have cried at the drop of a hat or even the drop of a word. I haven't felt like this since..... since my adolescent years. UGH!

With every post of mine, Dal has told me that he likes a conclusion, a happy ending. So here it is. All this crying and not doing anything has forced me to really think about what I do each day and how I can get myself to improve on the motivation factor. In the past two days, I have played more with LQ. I have been on the computer less. And I have given myself a system to make sure both of those things continue.


(do you like my preschool style drawings?)

You see having a list just doesn't cut it for me. If I am to be reminded of stuff - it needs to be up in my grill. What better place than on the computer AND once I have completed a task I get to take it off the computer until there are no cards left there and I can play to my hearts content. So far, it has worked.

YES, I DO need to be reminded to take a shower. Sorry if that offends you!

9 comments:

Stephanie said...

That is a GREAT idea. I love it. (Don't tell anyone, but I haven't showered for two days, but I'm going RIGHT now.)

And where will you land in the US? How fun to have you join us "near"by.

Hel said...

Thanks! Sometimes I DO get inspired!

We are actually not sure where we will be living yet. Dal is still waiting to hear from the Universities he applied to. We will stay with his parents for about a month after we fly over.

R Allen said...

I hear ya re the move to the US. It's not so much the going to a new place that sucks... it's the leaving the old one that's rank.

Been there... done that.

Well written blog btw.

Unknown said...

Helen, you have my sympathy even though you didn't ask for it! Moving is astonishingly traumatic, no matter how 'good' you get at it. By the time we were finishing our packing in Puerto Rico to come back to the states, I finally just told myself, "Fine, eyes, go ahead and keep bawling. But the hands here are loading this bin anyway!" We've moved a number of times ourselves, and that part of it never changes.

He proposed at the Space Needle? I love it! We lived in Seattle for the 7 years prior to the Puerto Rico years. (See, I told you we've moved a lot!)

I'm in Vegas. If you land anywhere near there I'll meet you for lunch and we can share moving war stories!

Cajoh said...

Good for you to come up with an eloquent solution to motivating yourself. We all must be on similar wavelengths or something because I just wrote a post on inspiration and motivation:
http://cajoh.blogspot.com/2009/01/inspiration-and-motivation.html

Good luck with your move. The whole experience makes for great blog fodder.

Melanie said...

Amen, sista'. Sometimes it requires stick figure drawings to get one up off one's arse. . . but at least you drew them. :)

Can't wait to see you guys.

Hel said...

R Max - I noticed you are from down this way. How long have you been in the US? By the way, you look great for 108!

DeNae - I think I remember you mentioning Seattle on your blog. Dal served his mission in Seattle, so that's where we met up for the first time (shhh... we met online!)

CaJoh - I Loved your post. Very well said. I hope I can entertain in the years to come with my tales of moving!

Lainie - That's one of the exciting things. We will be closer to a lot of friends - including you guys!

Hel said...

to clarify. Dal had long since finished his mission when we met....

Melanie said...

Helen, I believe it would have been funnier if you'd let people believe that Dal had spent his mission online stalking, meeting, and proposing to, girls on his mission. . .

maybe that's just me. :)