It's been one month since we arrived in Denver.
I am incredibly grateful to Ben that he is taking me on this journey. Let's face it: much like in 1995 when I left San Francisco for the first time, my professional life in Arizona had become stagnant and uninspiring. It was comfortable and reliable, but on a deep level I knew I needed a change, and then, like now, I left the security of that stable, long-term job, throwing my entire life into the air, trusting in the Universe that it would somehow quickly settle back down after I had relocated.
Oh, the naïvety.
While I am not expecting things to take as long this time, after leaving San Francisco, it took nearly a decade (and one more move to and from San Francisco before settling in Phoenix) for me to regain a sense of financial security and what I would refer to as day-to-day "normalcy" in my life. It was due to a variety of factors, not the least of which was a planned change of careers (something not in the mix this time) and a very unplanned illness.
But you know, even though I am still not back to work (that situation notwithstanding), I haven't regretted this move one bit. Now, older and hopefully a bit wiser, I know that in the current financial climate, it's unrealistic to expect that I can walk out of one job immediately into another and expect to enjoy all the perks and—for lack of any better terms—trust and respect I'd gained in my last position. But that doesn't mean the perfect job for me in Denver does not exist. I know there is an employer out there who is looking for someone exactly like me whose work environment is exactly what I'm looking for. It's just a matter of time.
Since our arrival, the weather has been wonderful. The week after we got here, Phoenix set high temperature records. We were basking in the 70s and 80s. It's rained almost every evening, and while the locals caution that this is not normal summer weather, neither Ben or I are complaining one bit.
We've adjusted to life in one room—awkwardly—but both of us are seriously longing for the day when we can get into an apartment and get our belongings out of storage. We knew going into this we'd probably be in this situation for about six weeks, so it's not like it was unexpected, but we had been hoping for a slightly larger room with more of a working kitchen than what we're living with at the moment.
I'm getting comfortable getting around town. I seriously doubt I could provide anyone with directions, but I've learned enough of the local streets and their locations that I can get from Point A to Point B without having to resort to GPS. And oftentimes on our journeys, we intentionally take different routes just to see where they lead.
This has led to drives through some absolutely amazing neighborhoods. The area north and to the west of the University of Denver is particularly beautiful. As I tweeted last week:
No photos yet, but one of my plans is to grab my camera, drive over there, park the car, and just start walking. The only way to photographically capture the charm of these areas is going to be on foot.
I'd also forgotten what it was like to live in a city where the downtown doesn't roll up and die after 5 pm and on weekends. Last Friday evening we went down to the 16th Street Mall (several blocks of 16th Street were closed to vehicular traffic back in the 80s and turned into a pedestrian promenade; something San Francisco should seriously consider doing to Market Street) and had a great time. Like in any large metro area, the area draws its share of thuggery (or at least wannabe thuggery) and homeless (reminds me a lot of Haight Street), but a very visible police presence keeps things under control and by and large it's just a bunch of people out having a good time, enjoying the entertainment, shops and restaurants.
So what's up for the next thirty days? By the time I write my "Two Months" entry I expect to be happily employed and Ben and I will be either finally settled into a permanent place or at least actively looking for one. Stay tuned.