Coming up on a year

I know it's been several months since my last blog post. There's a lot that goes through my mind, and I quite honestly don't find the energy often enough to write these posts. But this blog post isn't about my writing. It's about looking back at the past year.

This week marks a year since I left my job in the US. It marks a year since I took the big leap into the unknown. I had no job lined up in Europe, and I wasn't even sure which city I'd ultimately end up in. My hope was that I'd get something in Berlin (and I sure did!). My parents thought I was a bit crazy for doing this, but supported me nonetheless.



A year ago, I had cleaned out my office, said goodbye to my colleagues, and was looking at all the things I had to do before I could leave. I had a house I needed to empty, movers to find and boxes to pack for everything that was going to my brother's place in Orlando, and a bunch of crap I had accumulated over the years that needed to go, not to mention selling my car as well. And I only had about a couple weeks between quitting my job and flying off to Europe, so things needed to move fast.

That was a clear change in my life. No longer was I in the routine of going to work every day, driving the same route, eating the same food, doing the same things. I had changed paths in my life, off to a new adventure. Looking back on it now, it sometimes seems like my life a year ago was so long ago. Other times, it feels like I just recently was there.

I'm often asked if I miss it. I certainly miss a lot of the people I met in Florida, and of course my family and friends there. But I'm happier here, and I find myself fitting in better, even though I don't speak the language (yet). The weather is nicer, which comes as a surprise to most people. Of course, I left in July, which meant my last days living in Florida was in mid-summer heat, which everyone who has lived in Florida knows means you walk outside and instantly become drenched in sweat. Because of the cooler weather here, I can go outside more, enjoy the fresh air, explore more, go to random events. I could write a whole post just about this.

Looking back on it all, I'm really glad I took this path. It's been one interesting year, with new and exciting things to come in the next year.