Re-Inventing My Old Life

If you have followed any of this blog, you may be aware that my family sold the majority of what we owned, including our house, to move to the Big Island of Hawaii and pursue a new life. And we did it, for one year. During that year we faced a great many logistical and financial struggles, though we also experienced a plethora of beautiful and inspiring images which will stay with me my entire life. In the end we were called back home to Maryland, but did not return the same as we left.

I explored my employment opportunities upon our return and found myself working for the same company. Wasn't this what I had been trying to escape? But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a new position open for me which I find more stimulating and where I can work with my favorite individuals in the company. Another big change upon our return has been that my son is now being homeschooled by my husband. The first year into this change is a big learning experience, but I am already happy with the results. My son needs as much one-on-one time as he can get because of some of his special needs, and the public educational system simply cannot address this. Before our move to Hawaii we lived in house built in the 1980s that had a yard so small that it was one step away from being a townhouse. True, we we homeowners, but I had bought the house before meeting my husband and it did not really reflect our personalities or beliefs. After accepting the position at my old work a coworker helped us find our new home... a historic house built in the 1800s which backs right onto the Patuxent River. Odd as it may sound, I feel more comfort and joy observing the beauty here than I did even watching the sunsets in Waikoloa.

So as you can imagine, there has been a lot of activity, a lot of adjusting, and a lot of re-inventing. And that includes our diet as well. At my job in Hawaii I was given free rice, as much as I could eat, so we drifted away from a 100% raw diet. Returning to Maryland we are getting used to the fluctuating weather patterns. In a drafty historic house I have found myself drawn to more soups and stews, and the occasional oatmeal cookie. We enjoy lightly steamed vegetables and healthier grains. I am still focusing of trying to make hardy, gluten-free and vegan meals that avoid processing as much as possible.

I do not want to subscribe to any exact ideology of what health is, or what a good life is for that matter. As I see it we should all be life-long learners experiencing what we can of different methods, cultures, and elements, and from that point adopt the practices that are best for ourselves and those around us. Most people would think a move from Maryland to Hawaii and back to to Maryland was a failed experience, but if we stayed as we were ours lives now would not have progressed as they have. I am thankful and grateful, and hope there are readers who are interested to see where this new chapter takes us.

Sunrise on the Patuxent River.