Finding My Way Forward

Election Day came and went, and with it, I went numb. I think many of us did. I won't bore you with the reasons why. If you are reading this, you probably don't need them spelled out anyway. But I will tell you what happens next. 

After a few days of feeling detached, I realized I needed to shake things up in my life. I turned 50 this past year and I have been sensing a growing awareness that I am just not living my best life. And so, I have decided to take more control of it. 

First Step: Weed Out Social Media

My initial thought? Ditch social media entirely. I even announced a farewell on Facebook, ready to move on. But then I decided to just trim it down. I cut over 500 connections - family, friends, acquaintances. A lot of them, I realized, just did not need to be there. If someone genuinely adds value to my life, we can stay connected. And some others, I stay connected with by phone or text so social media wasn't needed. 

I would think of the Marie Kondo question when I would view each person: "Does this [person] bring me joy?" My version was more like: "Does this person have my back 100%" If not, I cut them loose. The result is a feed that feels lighter, closer, and more aligned with who I want to be. 

Along with this purge, I took advantage of Facebook's privacy settings and loaded up keywords I do not want in my timeline or my comments. I am sure you can figure out those words or names. Now when I scroll, I get far fewer updates that leave me tense and rattled. It is nice! I think the only posts I see now are about dogs and cats. 

Second Step: Going Media Dark

Facebook isn't the only place I pruned. I removed my access to all news on every platform, unfollowed any news sources or commentators, and even unsubscribed from channels. For now, I am going media dark. The only alerts I allow are from The Weather Channel, because that is really the only news I feel I need right now. 

And lastly: Moving On

The biggest decision through this is: I am leaving Texas. I have spent 99.3% of my life here. And it is a ruby red state here. And for so many reasons, I am ready for a change. I'm craving a new environment and culture. I want to know what it is like to live in a blue state where perspectives and values are more aligned with my own. 

I'm approaching this as more than just a move; it could be an entire lifestyle shift. I am considering going "homeless" in a sense by embracing a digital and nomadic life, hopping from place to place for a few months at a time. I've started researching states and cities I have always been curious about. Some are places I have passed through but never really explored. For now, it is all on the table. 

Tracking the Journey

If all goes according to plan...plans, I will be documenting every part of this journey here. I want this space to be a journal for where I go, who I meet, and what I find along the way. It is exciting, frightening, and totally uncertain....but maybe that's exactly what I need. 

So here's to shaking things up, disrupting again, to cutting ties and opening new doors. Let's see where this goes!