A Year of Change & Self-Discovery

I am a creature of habit; I always have been. Fortunately, my husband is one as well. We find comfort in the simple routines we’ve established over the course of our relationship. When it comes time to decide how we want to spend our free time, we have a handful of options we usually turn to. Do we want to eat at the local dive where we’re sure to run into the other regulars who frequent it? Should we walk over to the craft brewery by our house where we’ve developed close friendships with the employees there because of the years my husband worked as a brewer? Or do we just want to grab some takeout, turn on some of our favorite YouTube channels, and relax?

This all changed this year when my husband pursued his dream of opening a restaurant, and I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands while he was working around the clock. I felt a little lost and out of sorts at first without our routines, but then I decided to lean into the change. I knew the long hours wouldn’t last forever, so why not enjoy my chance to spend my time just as I wanted? I could watch whatever shows I felt like, read all day if I wanted to … the choices were limitless.

Photo by Lucia Postike | Bella Grace Issue 40

It’s been a year of learning to embrace change (something that isn’t easy for me), and in doing so, I’ve discovered a lot about myself in the process. Some of these things are:

• I really enjoy going somewhere alone to read while enjoying a meal or sipping on a delicious beverage. It’s perhaps my favorite way to spend time by myself.
• I shouldn’t be afraid of calling up a friend or texting them to see if they’d like to do something when I’m feeling lonely. Most of the time they’re thrilled to get asked.
• Absence really does make the heart fonder. I eagerly await whatever time I get to spend with my husband.
• I can still frequent our regular places even if I do so by myself or with a friend.
• It can be fun to say yes to new things with new people. This is something that can be difficult for an introvert such as myself since a lot of times I’d like to just stay in the comfort of my own home, but I’ve agreed to hiking trips and pottery classes with a new friend, and I’m so happy I did.

Now that the restaurant has been open for more than a year, my husband is around a lot more, and, of course, I’m thankful for that. But switching up how I spend my time has felt so rewarding that I’m weary of slipping back into all of our old routines. So, I’m continuing to say yes to new things while making time for the old. Life really is a never-ending search for balance, isn’t it?

Embrace change & self-discovery with our Field Guide To Everyday Magic magazine. Learn more here.