Forward

 I am a creature of comfort. Give me a routine or a tradition and I'm a happy girl. When something changes, it's hard for me to get back into the swing of things and feel at ease. But, this past year, I've been challenged in many ways to shake up my comforts, in big and small ways. What I realized is that I do better than expected when pushed beyond my comfort zone. 

Friendships are something I value greatly, and this year, several relationships have shifted for me. Aside from a 25 year friendship ending, I also experienced changes with a few good friends from work moving on to new jobs. But, that leaves room for new friendships, and I'm happy to report that I've been delighted with new friendships in these recent months. Whether it's finding like-minded people to connect with via blogs & Twitter, finding "couple friends" that my beau and I can spend time with, or a standing lunch/shopping/coffee date with some outstanding ladies, I've been richly blessed. It's wild to think that some of my strongest friendships are people I didn't know a year or two years ago. Making these friendships a priority is what has kept them growing stronger. 

I also moved in with my beau this past week, talk about a big life change! We've been together for many years and the actual transition has been smooth sailing, but packing up the apartment I've lived in for 6+ years was emotionally and physically exhausting. I found the process of packing and purging very therapeutic, but it was also quite nostalgic for a sensitive gal like myself. I had to stop myself from jokingly singing Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You"(a la How I Met Your Mother) while going through boxes and doing everything for the last time. Also, I had been living with two fantastic roommates, so it did feel like the end of an era. 

But as our Uhaul pulled away, I focused on all that is to come, and found myself not feeling nostalgic at all. And being in one place and taking this adult step is fantastic. I could write an entirely separate blog with silly anecdotes as we get used to cohabitating, but it was a relief how easily it felt like home and exactly where I was supposed to be. 

Moving forward is a wonderfully inspiring and exciting thing, and I'm thrilled to have grown comfortable with taking steps outside of my comfort zone. In fact, I might have just walked straight into the zone that's the best of all.