Life as I know it.

Observations:

For 2 weeks I've driven 52 miles per day, all in rush hour traffic. It has left me with a solid two hour time slot to process through my life and all of it's changes. After only 14 days I'm flooded with lessons, observations, and challenges. I was thinking about the list on my way into work just today and thought I should start writing them down. So, here it goes:

1. I CAN wake up before 8am. At 6:30am my alarm goes off and I open my eyes to the sun coming up over the hills - I may become a morning person.

2. Sunrises just might be better than sunsets. I feel like they're one of God's most awesome creations and I've missed out my whole life, until now.

3. Food is necessary, taking lunches feels weird. I've left at 5pm grumpy more days than I haven't all because the only sustenance that went into my body was an extra large thermos of leaded coffee. I think I will keep protein bars in my purse.

4. Time is hard to come by. 40 hours a week, 12 units, sleep, eat, shower, and laundry pretty much consume my life. Throw the holidays in there, add a few extra pounds to the physique, and I'm looking for wonder woman to come and teach me her secrets.

5. Traffic...suc.. teaches. Traffic teaches. It teaches patience. For as long as I sit still enjoying my coffee and singing along to some tunes, those few hundred yards where you pass 50mph on your speedometer are glorious. I never appreciated that when I could cruise at 70+ all the way to Irvine.

6. Pick a lane. The first few treks down to Lake Forest (my new work home) were spent moving over to this lane, then to the other, and back again. Hey, they were moving in that one, so I switched. Any time I switched, it only took me longer. Last Monday morning I picked a lane and stayed there and sure enough, I made it in less time. Maybe it's a poor correlation but all I could think of was how we all do in life what I did on the freeway my first half-week. We keep moving around to things that look better, never committing to something and sticking with it. This happens most often in relationships. We see something that seems to be better, we switch, only to find out it faces equal challenges - if not more. If only we had just picked a lane and stayed there! May our eyes not wander to the right or left, but remain fixed on the path before us.

7. I have amazing friends. I feel like I learn this again and again. With all of the chaos, changes, and challenges that life seemed to have dropped by my doorstep in the last year, they have been there. I'm convinced that all man needs is to be known and loved - by God, and his fellow men. I can't imagine where I'd be without them.

8. I still enjoy my work. My first boss was the best - extremely wise, market savvy, ethical, and fun. I really owe it to her for getting me started in Real Estate. It was a sad day when I left. 2.5 years later I left another job that I loved and a boss who had become so much more to me than a colleague. I cried in public when I quit. Yikes! I left her to venture down to South county and begin a new adventure at Fitzpatrick & Prince. I'm 2 weeks in, and I am happy to report that I have been blessed 3 times now. It's really incredible knowing that you work for a company you'd recommend to others without a second thought - one that is innovative and successful, one where the relationships are built on trust, and where the team is the focus rather than the individual. I'm excited about the near and distant future.

There are countless more that linger in my brain. This will suffice for the time being.

*sigh*