Having spent the last 2 weeks on the road with a purpose of finding my new home, I learned a few things. I learned what I like and what I don’t like. I learned what I can live with and what I can’t live without.
It was an important trip.
I also had an expectation before I started – that I would know the answer by the end of the trip.
I had an experience when I moved to Bozeman 12 years ago. I drove into the west end of town, never having been here, and a voice said, “You need to move here.” Period. End of sentence. No question.
I was expecting that on this journey too.
Funny what happens when expectations aren’t met.
I was disappointed and questioning, but surprisingly it didn’t last long. It came in, and left, within a few moments.
I sense what made the difference is every day I started the day with, “May I be open, may I listen, may I trust.” Each part important and needed.
Here are the aha moments that happened on the trip:
- As I was driving to the ocean from Portland I had an excitement that was unmistakable.
- When I reached the ocean I felt connected, rejuvenated, home, embraced.
- When I left the ocean 3 days later I cried and felt like I was getting torn apart from my mother or my lover.
- My second night camping at the ocean I woke up during the night with this thought screaming in my head, “I think I need to live at the ocean.”
It didn’t compute. I’d always been a mountain person. It’s how I felt when I moved to the mountains 25 years ago.
But something has shifted. The pull to be at the ocean is stronger now, and so strong, that it’s where I must go.
This is the clarity I got. What I was also certain on is that I can’t live on the Oregon Coast with all the rain.
So where does that point me? The California Coast comes to mind and heart. Funny because it’s where I grew up – Orange County, the Southern California scene.
Yet there are so many places along that coast that are diverse and not So Cal.
My heart says to go there – perhaps Santa Cruz or San Luis Obispo. Another road trip, but this one will be with my mom – she is beyond ecstatic that I may move closer to her, and by the beach is an even bigger bonus because she loves the beach too.
So what makes a good home?
To me, and what I’m learning on this journey is where it feels “right.” Not, “This could work.” But it feels RIGHT.
That’s the feeling I’m waiting for.
Here’s what I’ve learned makes a good home for me at this point in my life (Bozeman has a lot of these things too!):
- A strong sense of community
- Diversity of culture, ethnicity, and economics
- A thriving tango community
- The ocean
- Conscious people/Spiritual community
- Easy access to lots of hiking and biking trails
- A vibrant downtown
- Relaxing weather
If you’d asked me a year ago that I’d be moving to the ocean I would have said you’re crazy. Snow was my world.
You never know what’s possible. I am open, I listen, I trust.
If you are in a place of transition for that next home base check out www.findyourspot.com. It’s a great website for helping you get clear on what matters to you and actually suggests places that may be a good fit for you.
Final thought: take a road trip and check out different places. Be open, listen, and trust.
Categories: Self-Organization