A Versatile Blogger

I love my blog.  It's my little corner of the world and I absolutely love posting my words and photos.

And I definitely love when you comment!  That's my favorite.  I read every comment, usually more than once.  When I get that little ding on my phone telling me there is a comment, I get so excited!

So, thank you so much for reading and thank you for commenting.  It means the world to me.

And to top it all off, a fellow blogger Sydney Aaliyah sent me a Versatile Blogger Award!  How cool is that?

Thank you so much, Sydney.  You made my day!




Now, I am supposed to tell you seven things about me that you may or may not know and award 15 other bloggers who I consider Versatile Bloggers.


1.  I've NEVER lived in the same apartment/house for more than two years.  That's crazy and exhausting.  

2.  I have two tattoos.  I got my first one about four years ago. My mom hates them.  But, that's not why I did it. 

3.  I HomeSchooled my daughter from 6th through 12 grade and it was a wonderful experience.
     Contrary to common belief, she had a very full education and social life.  She even went to Prom. 

4.  I am absolutely terrified of flying.  Completely and utterly terrified.  Tears and rocking, terrified.
     Luckily, there is usually a wonderful adventure at the other end of the flight to make it worthwhile. 

5.  In spite of that fear, I'm determined to visit 50 countries by the age of 50.
     I'm only up to 18 and have less than 5 years to go. TE is 3 countries away from 100.  Show off. 

6.  I've recently taken up running for the first time in my life.  I plan to run a 10K by the age of 50
     and be a proper runner for the next half of my life.  

7.  After 20 years as a bookkeeper, I went back to school to get my accounting degree and
     to become a CPA.  My certification should be in the mail any day now.

So here's my list of 15 Versatile Bloggers.  Should you chose to accept  the award, this is what you do.  Thank you for blogging and sharing your world.

xoxo
Selena 



1.  A Suitcase and Stilettos
2.  Collage of Life
3.  The World from my Window
4.  A Tale of Two Cities
5.  House with No Name

6.  The Iota Quota
7.  A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings
8.  The Other Side of the Road
9.  Worthy Style 
10.  Cupcake Crazy Gem

11.  Happy Homemaker UK
12.  English as a Second Language
13.  With Passion and Love
14.  Along the Yellow Brick Road
15. The Bee Lady from Hill Top Farm

Get out your mini-violins.

Growing up as a military brat meant that we moved every few years.  I was in the comfort of my family for the early moves, so life just went on.  But, the move to Texas the summer after 8^th grade was different.  My junior high friends had become as important to me as my core family.  And the move was so much more difficult. 

We were all settled into our new house and waiting for the new school year to start.  I’m sure it was magnified by the drama-hormones of a 13 year old, but I still vividly remember the feelings of isolation that I experienced that summer.    

I spent a lot of time alone in my room listening to records (I’m aging myself), gazing out the window and sighing dramatically, I'm sure.  My brother (aka my bubba) was younger (and cooler) and quickly made friends on the playground.  But, for an awkward, moody teenager like me, it wasn’t that easy.  

I’ve been thinking about that summer a lot since we’ve moved to England.  Suddenly, I am that young girl again and walking through a bustling neighborhood that feels completely deserted to me.   

It’s difficult to explain the feelings.  It’s not loneliness, but more a feeling of isolation.  

I have my husband who I absolutely adore by my side.  I have his parent’s love and support.  And I have the love of family and friends from afar that keep the feelings of loneliness away.  I have FaceTime, phone calls, emails and texts from home and the promise of visits coming up.   But, something major is certainly missing from my life right now.    

It’s about connections, isn’t it?  

I think some of the isolation comes from the lack of shared experiences.  When I speak to most of my family and friends at home, I can plug into what is happening in their world.   I am familiar with the context of their lives.  I know where they live, work and shop, and I know the people they love.  So, as they share the events of their daily lives, I get it.  

But, it feels weird to speak of what is happening in my life because the context is missing.  They don’t know what my surroundings look like or who the new people are in my life.  So, it isn’t as easy for them to plug in to my daily experiences.  My life has become foreign (pun intended).  

I often find myself seeing or doing something that I desperately wish I was sharing with someone I love back home.  It’s a regular thing to think “Sugar Bear would love this” or “We have to bring bubba n’ em here when they visit.”  (My inner voice has a southern twang, ya’ll.)

I miss being with my family who know me, know the life that made me and love me, even with my many quirks and flaws.  (I’m sure there is an official list somewhere.)   I miss the relaxed comfort of time with an old friend over a glass (or six) of wine.   I miss the shared inside jokes and the comfortable silences.  I miss the hugs and touches that I often took for granted.    

 I knew it was was coming and, as expected, 

I’m finding the isolation the hardest part of relocating.  

I am displaced.   

And I am spending way more time inside my own head than is healthy.

Yes, I chose to make this move.   And, yes, I am on an exciting adventure.  Please don't get me wrong, I am very happy and have no regrets.  This was the right move for us.  And I do feel silly when I whine about it and everyone rolls their eyes and grabs their mini-violins to play a sad song on my behalf.   

But, it is still an emotional journey and the feelings are real.    

Some days I experience profound sadness and  some days are really difficult.   

And there may or may not be days when my behavior would put any hormone addled teenager to shame.  

That lonely summer before 9^th grade quickly turned into one of the best times of my life as I entered high school.  The friendships that I soon made are still dear to me all these years later.   And I know that new friendships are in store for me here in England.   

But, no matter what new connections I make, 

I will always be thinking about the one’s that I am missing today.

Can't you hear the violins?

xoxo

Selena 

PS.   The picture was taken with my iPhone and tweaked via Instagram and iGoogle.

The Goodbye's start today.

Matt & I are pretty compatible in our decision making.  We spend a lot of time considering and discussing.  It may seem some of our decisions are rash (we did get engaged within a month of meeting and were married in three months) but, I can assure you they are still well thought out and we stand by them.

When we made the decision to relocate to London, a million other decisions followed.  One of the toughest was what to do with our adorable rat terriers, Sugar and Mister.   After much consideration, we decided that taking them with us was not a good option, so we were left with finding them a home.

We sent out several feelers and knew (hoped) that this was another thing that would fall into place.  And it has.  A wonderful coworker has introduced us to a lovely retired couple.  They live on 4 acres in the Hill Country.  When we were visiting, they showed us a picture of their beloved rat terrier they recently lost to cancer.  She looked just like Sugar & Mister. They travel often in an RV and will take the pups everywhere they go.  We could not have asked for a better home for our wonderful animals.

We tell ourselves how lucky we are to have spent time with these loving animals.  We are so happy that they will be able to stay together.  We are thrilled to have found such a great home for them.  But, knowing this all in our heads, does not make our hearts ache less.

So, today is the first of many painful goodbyes.

"For there is a price ticket on everything that puts a whizz into life, and adventure follows the rule.  It's distressing, but there you are."  Leslie Charteris

xoxo

Selena