I discovered website, Reverb10, today. It gives you a daily prompt during the month of December to aid you in reflecting on 2010 and prepare for 2011. Sounds like a good idea, so I’m in.
Prompt #1: Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)
This is one is easy!
ADAPT!!
I started the year in Albuquerque, NM. Working full-time, plus co-owner of a small local business. I averaged about 70 hours of work a week between work, gallery, and working at home. I barely saw my awesome children. My husband was unemployed/underemployed and took care of most of the kids’ daily needs. We lived off fast food and frozen dinners. And we were broke, constantly worrying about money and our financial future. And I was mostly happy. I loved my friends and neighbors, loved our neighborhood and William’s school. Loved the gallery, liked my job, relished my long hours as I felt I was building towards amazing things. Money sucked, but I just things would turn around for Chris, and kept moving forward.
Cue March and Chris is offered a job in Huntington, WV. We decided to go for it, knowing that we would be able to buy a house (something we couldn’t see happening in ABQ) and that I would be able to take a break from working and would have the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
A week later, Chris and Katie take off for West Virginia. Chris to Huntington to start his job and find us a house. Katie to stay with Chris’ parents in Princeton, WV. William and I stay in Albuquerque so that he can finish kindergarten and I can pack up the house and tie up loose ends. Life as a single parent was new to me. I’d abdicated so much of the child rearing duties to Chris and hadn’t even realized it. I didn’t even know what time William got out of school on Wednesdays (early release day for his school), didn’t know most of the other parents in his class (though they all seemed to know Chris and would come up to me to ask after him). Being solely responsible for him made me adjust my schedule, and work to find things to do with him. We went to the zoo and aquarium, wandered around Old Town, attended festivals, went out to eat, and played in our yard (a lot!).
The first Friday in June Chris flies back and we attend my last gallery opening at The Wooden Cow. Saturday we load up the Uhaul, say goodbye to all of our friends and neighbors, and head out to West Virginia.
June and July were HARD. I felt like I was at the bottom of a very deep well. Nothing felt right. Even West Virginia sunlight felt wrong to me, so different from the blazingly, bright, pure light of New Mexico. I couldn’t see any good in West Virginia, didn’t want to see any good in West Virginia.
Then, things started to become clearer. I joined a local church (afters 20 years as an agnostic) and “found God.” (I hate that term but it’s the most apt). My church and church family have become a huge part of my life.
I reignited my long lost love of cooking and have focused on creating healthy and yummy food for my family. And now cook exclusively vegan. I started exercising – working to lose the extra 30 pounds that had accumulated during my six years in Albuquerque.
I have decided to open my own gallery in 2011 – and am working towards that goal. I am attending networking functions, going to attend a “small business startup” class, contacting other artists, and generally putting myself out there in ways I never thought possible.
And I have already met some amazing people and formed strong friendships here.I have neighbors whom I consider family already. I have drinking buddies and art friends.
I’ve adapted to my new surroundings, adjusted to the slow, southern pace of West Virginia living, while still maintaining my need to juggle ten million little balls in the air. Rediscovered parts of myself I’d buried long ago.
2011 and I will adapt even more. Opening the gallery will mean a more structured schedule. There will be new adjustments about housework and childcare and cooking and our family. I’m sure there will be some growing pains – but I know we’ll find our balance.
I’m looking forward to it.
What’s YOUR word for 2011? (and what was your word for 2010?)
