Vacationing on the opposite side of the Continent is one thing; but living here, day-to-day, is another! Specifically, we have found there’s something that hits you on a deeper level when actually living in a place where “everything is backwards”.
When one is on vacation, there is an expected degree of surprise as well as an anticipated sense of being somewhat out of kilter for these (generally) short stays away from home. You wake up each morning just knowing that you are going to be dining out, driving a rental car, seeing long-awaited tourist sites. Living out of a suitcase and using those little travel soaps just add fun to the exercise.
A whole new level of wonder opens up when you have made the move to a different address. When that new address is on the other side of the USA, and perhaps three time zones distant, the fun never seems to set!
Every hour of every day, and seemingly, every move you make finds you bumping into paradigm-shifting experiences. Every mundane experience is colored by this new environment in which the clock is three hours advanced, the compass is cattywampus, and the ocean is on the opposite side of the world.
The change permeates everything, including your aural atmosphere. Things sound different. Early morning birdsong doesn’t resemble the West; northern New England birds sing to a different songbook. Most places are quiet in Maine. Really quiet. This allows for a whole new audio exploration of the world around you. There are rustlings in nearby underbrush and forests. The wind sounds different as it blows around your century-old house.
Grocery shopping days turn into anticipated little explorations. Sure, there are the usual, nation-wide offerings; but then there are all those unfamiliar, yet alluring local foods featuring names and logos that hold your attention as you consider trying these out. Somehow, even straight-forward foods like bread, milk, cheese and apples taste a little different. Is it real, or just a little east coast magic?
Perhaps these feelings percolate-up from an intentional, newly-arrived, mentality that we actively cultivate. I don’t think we are looking at life in Maine via rose-colored glasses, but from a genuine, smile-inducing change of viewpoint that informs our everyday experiences. To use a well-worn phrase, we try to embrace this new life.
Sure, things can get frustrating sometimes. There have even been moments where we find ourselves blurting out, “…but in California, we used to do it this way!”, or some such piffle. Then, we catch ourselves, and take a deep breath.
Overall, the experience has ranged from breathtakingly deluxe, to exasperatingly frustrating; with the overwhelming winner between the two being the latter. It’s been over six years for us, and we still run into these happy realizations each and every day. The good news is, the changes still bring a quiet sense of wonder and joy.
Leave a Reply