PACKING AWAITS

I am writing this on Sunday, March 28, 2021. It is 7:30, in the morning, and I am sitting on a balcony, drinking coffee, and looking out at the Gulf of Mexico. I will make this cup of coffee last as long as I can. When it is gone, I have to start .... packing.

Emotions are funny things. Packing to come to Alabama was fun. We were going on a new adventure — two months in a condo. Two months... we had never been gone two months and we had never rented a condo. How would it feel to be gone that long? Will hubby survive? He is doing this for me and it is way out of his comfort zone. But, now, he is ready to pack. He is ready to go home.

Me? Not so much. Yes, I miss our home, our family and friends, and our church, but I will miss waking up each morning and hearing the waves. I will miss sitting on the balcony watching the sky and water change, as the sun says good morning. Sometimes I sat there in a very heavy sweatshirt because even Alabama can be cold, but it sure beat the 8 below zero back home. I will miss opening the door, in the middle of the night, and being amazed at how the waves sound when the fog moved in. I will miss hearing the roar of helicopters and the Blue Angels as they fly over. (I still want to ride in a black hawk.). I will miss new friends we have made.

I was finger talking (aka texting) with a friend and told him: Never fear.. I can put stuff back in boxes and suitcases. Yes, I can come back to reality, but I sure have enjoyed the change. I think that is what I miss in retirement: Change. Something new. We have moved often (compared to some) and each move was a change and challenge. I have enjoyed the change from routine and the challenge of doing something new.

I am sure you are tired of reading my morning thoughts, so I will wrap this up. Not exactly sure how. There is no big message. There are no big words of wisdom. Or maybe, just maybe ...

There is nothing wrong with routine. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable in life. There is nothing wrong with knowing what tomorrow will bring. Or maybe, just maybe ...

By being open to a new adventure, by getting out of a set routine, and by being willing to unlock the door to your comfort zone, you might —

• See lightening over the water and hear the waves during a storm
• See the stars as you swim in a pool at night
• Watch an alligator laying in the sun
• Have strangers become friends
• See how others live and work
• Read without feeling like you should be doing something
• Be amazed as an osprey flies by with its dinner
• Wonder how the water can change color

Packing awaits. Today everything we do not need for the drive home will be packed and put back into the car. The condo will become impersonal and tomorrow we will head home. But I head home a different person, with a new perspective.

And when, we arrive home and I close my eyes ... as I go to sleep in my own bed, I will hear the waves and be blessed with the memories of this adventure.