Unus Annus Laxus

Today marks one year since I left the nest in Michigan and came to live on the lakeshore here in Sheboygan. It seems reasonable at this point to reflect on the time that has elapsed since.

The first thought that came to mind was standing on a 2,000 foot cliff in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Looking back in time is rather like looking at that or any river flowing from a distant source situated atop a high canyon wall. Parts of it show in stark relief as if they are near enough to touch, while the vast majority is a quick moving flow obscured by mist and distance. The channels entering and leaving the river are the looming points of change that altered the flow, the least of which has an effect all out of proportion to what might have been expected. The slow bends have long lasting effects that are barely noticable at the time, but make as much difference as the sharp turns. In the end each person's river flows to the sea merging with all those who came before.

Obviously I'm not at the sea and have no intention of getting there any time soon, but have at least journeyed atop the precipice to look back. It was a profound change of course to move. Leaving behind all that I knew well and making the leap on all of a month's notice was more intense than I chose to give credit at the time. There are still days when I wonder where else I could have landed. Most days it seems like that was all a long time ago some days it seems like yesterday. As I wrote before, home is still an elusive concept in the singular sense.

There was some culture shock coming here. It may still be the Midwest, but Southeast Michigan is more East Coast than I would ever have realized before. The whole switch from a metro suburban area to an area with a relatively light population and 50,000 resident cities considered large has its own adjustments. Overall, I prefer the lifestyle here, but miss the convenience and options of a large metro area. I am more aware of my area than I was back home, I use the local shops for a variety of things and avoid most food chains except Subway in preference of local establishments. I have a better feel for the "community power structure" than I ever was in Michigan to the point of knowing more about the area as a whole than some lifelong residents--no joke.

Work wise, I feel overly wedded to work part of the time leaving a rather one-dimensional feel to things. Part of that is the still somewhat daunting task I accepted in turning the district around. I got the iceberg stopped, now it's a question of getting the momentum going and in the right direction. I was (and still am) awful cocky about knowing my business when I got here, but managed to learn a lot and improve my skills over the last year. There are still a lot of things I can and want to do better. It would be nice if skills were like software that you could load quickly and just install the updates as they become available. The downside would be losing the journey and as any seasoned road tripper knows that's the greatest part.

I do need a hobby, especially in winter. There is only so much time I can spend watching TV, playing Civilizataion or reading. The key part is finding one that doesn't cost a lot. It is only recently that I got at all bored in what free time I have. Before I spent it putzing on settling in to my apartment, doing one of the above, or out with the now defunct "A Team", but those don't hold my interest as much as they did. Why spend time out at bars when you don't drink or smoke and are not keen on crowds? Occasionally the people watching and conversation is refreshing but drunks are only amusing for a short while. Alas.

Enough wallowing. Overall, was it a good idea to move? Yes. No question. I was getting stale and this has been a breath of fresh air (with the occasional cloud of smoke). We'll see what this year brings, hope it's interesting in a less Chinese way than this year has been.