End of 2022, Beginning of 2023

As some of you may know, I took on a different challenge after my bodybuilding competition. I sold my house on the west coast and moved across the country; relocating back to the East Coast, where I grew up.

I don’t have any “New Year’s Resolutions” per se, because anything I might pledge seems to fall under my three goals for every year:

• Get healthier (as I get older)
• Get wealthier (learn more about finance/money)
• Improve my life and the life of those around me

The past six months have taught me so much. As I close out 2022 and look forward to the new lessons of 2023, here’s what I’m thinking:

Travel:

• Driving across the country is way less romantic than it seems. Mostly I just wanted to be done. Also, Utah is a very wide state, seriously.
• Extended stays were a much better deal than AirBnBs
• Buy an EZ pass. Just do it.

Moving:

• A poor choice was using the Moving Grid (of CA) or Safe Movers LLC (out of NJ). If I ever moved again, or my advice to you, go with a POD-type deal. PODs are only a cost if you use them. I could have ordered three and then only paid for one, or whatever I used. The downside to PODs is that you pack it yourself and since most of us probably don’t have the packing skills of a moving company, it might not be tight enough and items can shift around.
• If in any way you’re moving on in your life, realize that some things from your old life may not fit into your new life. Let them go, you might not even need them (in my experience, you won’t).
• As I get older, “homesick” has a different definition. I didn’t miss where I lived so much as I missed having a system, a schedule, a frame of reference for everything. I missed the feeling of having “my home” rather than the actual place I had been. When you move, you lose those things and have to rebuild them. For example, finding a new doctor, hair stylist, route to work, sometimes a job, a routine in the morning or at night. For the first three to four months, I was homesick for those things, having those things, knowing them. I realized we take small consistencies like that for granted. And there were lots of tears that I didn’t expect.

Money:

• Why don’t people discuss finances more? Why so much secrecy? Why isn’t the concept of passive income discussed more? Why aren’t there more women teaching women about this? I think I’d like to be a part of changing that. 

Therapy:

• It’s only helping if it’s uncomfortable. We all have more issues than we realize and more to work on than we admit. Presentations are just that: a way someone presents. Not everyone is as they seem, especially on social media (Yeah, I know you know this, just saying).

Family:

• I appreciate my siblings (and family, above) so much more as I have gotten older. 
• My children are now in their 20’s! They are amazing and bring such joy to my life. Having kids was totally worth it (in case you can’t see that yet, you’ll get there).

Living in a Cold Location:

• People who live in cold climates are just a different breed. In hot weather, you can pretty much get away with almost any type of attire. In the cold climates, I mean really cold, you need quality and durability or you will be very sad and in pain. Why, why does the cold hurt so much…?
• Shoveling the walk/driveway: shovel all of it, ALL. Yes, even that part over there. If you don’t you’ll be facing an ice slick when the temperature drops that night and then there isn’t enough salt in the world to help you.
• Buy good boots and gloves made for cold weather (yeah, the expensive ones…sorry).
• I didn’t realize that so many things are made for people that live in cold climates. Case in point: slippers. I have never worn slippers. I still hate wearing pants, but slippers are a must.
• I hate tile floors regardless of where I live.
• Old houses are just a different mindset. Even if the bones are good, it’s still old and requires a learning curve and change of mindset. (Such as learning about radiators and radiator dials, radiator knobs, cost of oil, oil tanks, etc.)

New England states

• They have some of the cutest darn homes. I’m constantly reminded of Cape May in New Jersey.
• Massachusetts rains so much more than anyone talks about. They always talk about Seattle, but I have never heard them discuss the rain in MA. Consider yourself warned.
• Smart road safety: Connecticut and Massachusetts always station a cop car when there is an issue with a vehicle on the highway (broken down vehicle, etc). This causes panic because you think it is a cop pulling someone over, either way: made you look and slow down.
• Stupid and unsafe roads: CT and MA have very few lights on the highway or reflectors on the road, so when it is dark, raining and foggy you can see ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
• People in MA do sound like they’re in a Matt Damon movie, even many Western Massachusetts people have a Boston accent. It’s awesome.
• New England Travel: It takes forever to get somewhere because so much of CT and MA is winding country roads. Even if you wanted to drive 50mph, you literally can’t and might actually die going over a cliff around those curves.

Decorating:

• Offer Up is an awesome platform and was much more fruitful for me than Facebook Marketplace. I got some great rugs and lamps for much much less. And met some very nice people!

Construction and Tools: 

• I love pellet stoves (so does my dog) and I don’t mind that they require maintenance. Doesn’t everything in life?
• In the past 5 months, I learned how to use a circular saw and an oscillating saw, sanded my floors, painted walls and steps, framed out under my cabinets, and replaced some rotted and eaten boards (thanks, mice). I am very proud of myself! (And thank you, Shana!)
• I had the experience of watching my toilet freeze when I flushed (all fluids for those wondering). Apparently, that happens when the temperature is 18 degrees and the bathroom is an add-on from a prior owner who attempted (badly) a flip project. Leaving the water running so the pipes don’t freeze is a real thing.
• I have learned how important insulation is, even if you’re just covering the basement windows with some insulation boards/foam from Home Depot.
• I am on a first name basis with most of the employees at Home Depot.
• The Pro Membership at Home Depot is NOT for pros, it’s just what they named their membership program. That’s annoying and was never explained to me. I wish it had been since I’ve been buying stuff to fix up my house for five months.
• I am NOT permitted to fill my cup in my water dispenser and walk away…I AM required to stand there and wait, no matter how slowly it fills my cup.
• I am a very messy painter and I am forbidden to paint in anything other than old clothes because I WILL get it on that one piece of clothing that matters. The picture is an image of my footprints when I left my phone on the windowsill, which was mid staircase, and I had to walk in the paint to retrieve it.

Fitness:

• Not working out for almost eight months (weightlifting/training) as I relearn how to do life did not result in me losing as much muscle as I thought.
• I don’t need to force myself to workout when I really don’t want to because there’s just so much else happening in my life. Transitions are hard and take a lot of mental energy.

New lesson for this year: 

• Frame out my library since the IKEA Billy Bookcase will not do what I need.

New realization: 

• As I get older I realize: I am afraid all the time, but I do it anyway, I move forward anyway, I try it anyway.

How about you? What do you see on the horizon in 2023?