Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Hunting for Happy


Let's cut to the chase: It's been a while. Here's what you missed:

We moved to Chicago - June 2014

I found a my new happy-place job - January 2015

We moved out to a house in the burbs - June 2015

I got pregnant - July 2015

Baby Freddie graced us with his awesomeness - April 2016


So not too much new here!

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Mostly about times in my life when I was really happy and fulfilled. Atlanta was one of those times. I look back at the posts on here and the vlogs that followed and I feel a since of calm. There was a simplicity. We had a routine. I had time to explore creative outlets. We were in our own little bubble of happy.

Two years have passed and I have so much more to be happy about (Fred being number one at that list), but I still find myself thinking back longingly at our time in the ATL. Maybe it's the golden glow of nostalgia that's makes these memories shine so brightly in my brain.

We've talked seriously about moving back and what that would look like. Mike's current position is a temporary one and we haven't yet heard if it will turn into a permanent position. In some respects there is a serious possibility that a move could be in our future. My first reaction is excitement over a new adventure. A possible return to a lifestyle I loved. But what if that time is past and gone, and nothing we do can bring it back?

I've tried to pinpoint the specific things I loved about our life in Atlanta. The excitement of a new place? The fun of the city life? The quaint southern charm? Heck, maybe just the warmer weather?

It's all of that and none of it at the same time. The thing I loved was that we fell into a perfect little life without trying. All the pieces fell into place exactly right.

I have only a handful of bad memories, and all are from the first 6 months, a time when I was trying to get comfy in a new place while working in the worst job I've had to date.

I adopted a vegan diet in Atlanta and had an amazingly easy time doing it. One month into our time in Chicago and I had fallen down the dairy hole. Really vegan vs. non-vegan wasn't the important part. I was eating with purpose. I was cooking at home. We were exploring new foods. It was filling on a deeper level.

Even this blog and the later vlogs are part of it. I had this time to indulge in an outlet. To create and express myself.

I'd like to believe that Atlanta was a magical place that made this all happen. I want to believe that if we just moved back, we could go back to that life. We could call up Ken and get our charmingly tiny basement apartment back. We could carpool to work and go on adventures on the weekends. Walk to Trader Joes and to Piedmont Park. Dinners at Atlantic Station. Saturdays at Ikea. Moe's for dinner EVERY SINGLE MONDAY.

I'd like to believe that those individual things are the missing pieces that would make it all click again. But there was something more. Something simple and less complicated. Something easy and carefree.

I don't have an answer. Just more rambling thoughts to sift through.

Happy hunting!