I recently purchased a subscription to iMatch.  Basically, you pay a yearly fee to listen to all of your music on iTunes on any device.  Considering that I’ve had several computers in the past few years, this was a great option for me as I am iTunes illiterate and do not know how to sync all of my devices.  Anyway….short story made long, I am happier than a puppy with two peters to be able to listen to all of my tunes…most of which I haven’t heard since last June when I said good-bye to America’s Finest City.  I am currently listening to David Gray’s album “Life in Slow Motion”.  I know this means nothing to you, but have you ever had a flood of emotions inundate you when you listen to a particular song?  I’m sure you have, but this album really pulled on my nostalgic heartstrings as it was a constant in my (then) cd player when I first moved to San Diego.  It seriously seems like forever ago when I packed up and headed south…what a tough transition that was for me.  When I think back I can recall spending hours on the phone with family and friends because I felt so incredibly disconnected and lonely.  It was a miserable first year and as much as I ended up loving San Diego and my newfound family there, I’m not sure if I’d want to go through that again.

But I took the chance.

Listening to the melancholy tone of David’s voice, I am swept back to that moment in time and am so grateful that this transition has been a million times easier. I just can’t help but to wonder why?  I am, after all, 6,000 miles away versus 600.  Does the actual distance even matter?  Will that first step always hold the crown for the hardest part of this journey? I hope so.  Being so far away isn’t easy by any means.  I miss everyone more than I could ever describe, but this transition has been so different.  I am lost in my own mind most of the time as I take in my new surroundings, wrap my head around a new and very different culture, nurture new friendships and try not to let the pressures of my new job consume me.   I’ve been here almost nine months and I think that the fog that I have been trudging through is finally beginning to clear.  Plus, I have my main man here now and my new house is finally a place that I can call home so the transition phase is slowly coming to an end. I look forward to the next phase as I feel that I will finally be able to form a clear perspective of all this newness.

I know I am way behind on writing and this isn’t one of the topics on my list, but with my moment of nostalgia came a compulsion to write.  Coming soon:

Kuala Lumpur

Taipei

and Hanami (cherry blossoms!).

Love to you all and I miss your faces like crazy!

XOXOXOX

K