Up There or Down There In Another Four Years

My subject header is a George Harrison quote that I heard over and over again everytime I watched "The Compleat Beatles" documentary in High School. I was trying to think of an appropriate title or quote to describe the social phenomena of relocating ones self to a place where they don't know anyone.

In November, I will have lived in Florida for four years. I wonder how I lasted for four years down here, despite all the bouts I've had with handling my first real single family with a yard and attached garage home, disability for six months, pets coming and going, and three hurricanes. It's a huge achievment in and of itself. But the part that I can't believe I lasted through was three years of general loneliness.

Don't get me wrong - I was very blessed to have two friends who are also neighbors that were and still are the ones I can count on for a night out or to pick me up when my crap car breaks down in the middle of no where. But generally speaking, I've always been a hyper social person and was always used to having a million things to do rather than generally nothing.

When I left BP for a local job, I knew that things would start to change. My old belief that it takes 18 months to 2 years to fully establish your social life in a new place never materialized because I traveled all the time. The ability to call a friend in the middle of the week and say, "hey, wanna go out for Chinese food?" never happened. They couldn't count on me or even get to know me.

Now that I have a local job, my local friendships have become stronger but I also have finally started to hit the social stride I'm used to - that of being a wee bit overbooked. This weekend I went to a party and had a great time - and it was with friends that are down to earth, normal people that I could have grown up with. This weekend I'm having another party (the third one I've had since July after three years of nothing). I've met new people, I am learning about the city I live in more than ever, and just finding that I have no time to just be alone anymore. I remember that feeling when I lived in Chicago shortly before I made the decision to move.

Around this time last year, I remember talking to my friend in Atlanta and she was going out with her girlfriends for lunch on the weekend. I remember being so jealous of that simple act of cameraderie that was not developed in my own life here. Finally, I can say things are changing and looking up on all fronts.