Spring Cleaning

It finally happened. The rain stopped, the clouds cleared away, and the sun came out. Sun so bright that I felt a little like Gollum slithering at of my cave and wincing up at the shining light. 

But oh is it nice, to finally have some good weather. Don't believe what they tell you: Seattle isn't ALWAYS rainy. When the weather is nice, I challenge you to find a nicer place than the Pacific Northwest. Lately though? Well, lately the weather is the kind that makes you want to curl up under your blankets and never leave your bed again. And it's easy to stew and get lost in that feeling of "yeeeuck" when it's rainy, cold and gray. But if you've lived in PNW for long enough, you know that you just have to grit your teeth and march on, because the sun will come soon enough.

Life is a bit like that too. There can be some stretches of time where things just seem dull and gray. It takes all your energy to get through the day, and you just kind of keep your head down and move forward. Then, eventually, the sky clears and you get that moment where your eyes open and you really see for the first time in awhile.

It's easy to get caught in a rut, to follow the same old pattern and not really realize that it is time for things to change. I think it's so important to appreciate the life you have, but I think it is equally important to take a hard look at your life every once in awhile, and decide if there is something that needs to change. Some spring cleaning, if you will.

Although my recent eye opening made me realize that I needed to do some ACTUAL spring cleaning. How do things get so dirty? Am I a pig? Is that what it is? Sheesh. But as exhausting as a weekend full of cleaning and chores was (and as much as it made the inner child in me pout), it feels refreshing and energizing to look around and see what I've accomplished. 

Turns out, the house was the easy part. I'm still working on the life part. Any one out there in the process of looking for a new job? If you are, imagine me giving you a supportive hug right now. I'm right there with you. As comfortable as my job is now, and as much as I love my fellow employees, I finally decided that I need something more. More stability, more growth and the scary part ... more challenge. 

Unfortunately, this means writing is still on the back burner. That can be the hard part of this "adulting" business. I'm trying to remember that even if my dream isn't my main focus right now, that doesn't mean I'm failing at it. Sometimes you have to make sure you have the foundation in place before you can commit fully to your dreams. 

So if anyone right now is going through the same kind of transition period, love to you. It's tough and challenging, and change can be scary. But taking the time and energy to focus on cleaning up any clutter in your life is always worth it. So I'm grabbing my dust rag and vacuum, and I'll see you on the other side.