One of my friends asked me via IM the other day if I was ever happy. I'm not entirely sure what I've been doing to give her the impression that I'm not, but I sure hope I don't generally come off as a Debbie Downer!
In the most general sense, I've been relatively happy for a number of years. I wasn't happy dating in early 2007, and the non-work in 2009 started to bring me down a little, but I have a lot to be happy about.
Do keep in mind that this move is going to be a challenging adjustment for quite some time. I find myself emotionally exhausted from the chaos of the move, and the separation from our friends in Seattle. You don't spend two years in a place and not grow attached to it. I still compare it to graduating from college. You have a couple of years filled with intense experiences and new relationships, and then it just ends. Just thinking about it causes anxiety.
Fortunately, there is progress in the adjustment. The house is feeling less ghetto, now that we've made substantial improvements in a relatively small amount of time. Simon seems to enjoy his big play space, and I love coming home to him, despite his crankiness associated with his molar teething. We're slowly connecting with our old friends and getting back into that loop. Financially, I'm pleased to see that our numbers are way, way better than I expected, and we'll reach our goals quickly if I can maintain the same pay rate.
What is important to consider is that being happy can be a lot of work. Money, nice stuff, an awesome partner, a good job and a rich social experience don't make everything rainbows by default. There are a lot of areas of my life that I need to improve on. These areas don't necessarily tank my happy score, but they could drag me down if I don't tend to them. Being satisfied with life doesn't happen by just sitting around hoping it will happen.
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