A Wild Ride

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.” – Laurie Buchanan

It’s been a helluva ride on the crazy roller-coaster called 2023.

This time last year, I was meeting Tennessee for the first time in person. By the end of my visit, she was already certain we’d be together. I admit it took me a bit longer.

This New Year’s Eve, I’m living here as her fiancé and I am so grateful for all the things that happened this year to allow me to be in this place at this time with the most amazing human on the planet.

To follow through on the roller coaster analogy, this year has been full of ups and downs and twists and turns, many of which I have written about in previous blogs.

I’m still not “officially” here permanently according to my work as they still haven’t gotten the stalled process to approve my request up and running yet. However, I have a local bank account and library card as well as Tennessee license plates, so I’m still hoping it’ll be a mere formality.

I’ve also had some significant health issues since I’ve been here.  The latest is that I’ve been sick since Thanksgiving. First a virus then an ear infection which has not cleared up despite a round of antibiotics, so I’m getting ready to start on a round of steroids. I only cried a little. My history with prednisone is a hate/hate relationship. I know it works but the side effects are awful.

I had hoped to start the New Year off on a high note… but it looks like we’ll be crossing the finish line of 2023 limping and coughing.

Despite the health issues Tennessee and I are happy and we have some big plans for 2024.

In addition to getting married, we’re looking into buying a new house closer to her sister. Of course, this would mean that my goal to retire this year won’t be able to happen. I’m okay with that, so long as my agency gets its act together and approves my move permanently.

So much hinges on this one action, and truthfully it makes me inclined to retire anyway and start a new career elsewhere.  Not an easy thing to do when you have so many other plates in the air, but I totally will if that is what it takes to finally move forward. I’m done with living in limbo.

That brings me to my goals for 2024.  Not resolutions-goals.

  1. Get healthier – take care of the most urgent health issues

  2. Publish a weekly blog

  3. Set a wedding date

  4.  Find a new, or make this place our, forever home

  5. Retire and find a new job or set a new retirement date

  6. Read 100 books and give each a review (see#2)

I will work on making these SMART goals so they’ll be easier to tackle and track. In the meantime, I wish each of you, or as they say here, all y’all, a Happy New Year!