Summer Battery Recharge

Ollie
It isn't that I am not working this summer, I am just not working in the city. 

The past six months has been ridiculously busy.  Starting in November when my Mom got sick and died so suddenly I feel like my world has been just on a constant go.  Probably to fend off all the emotions I was feeling.  I am no doubt a person who just charges forward no matter what the situation.  Great for leadership skills but not always good for mental health. 

I made a decision to go out to the beach and recharge my batteries.  I am on phone calls, I am on skype but I am also walking to the beach, exercising daily, reading books and I plan on hitting up the kitchen in a big way.  Yesterday I took two trips to the beach and my best pal out here, Ollie, couldn't have been happier to make the journey with me.

As always, trying to figure out the life balance isn't the easiest.  Can I be selfish right now and just have my time at the beach while figuring out what September will look like and what next year will bring.  I have decided the answer to that is absolutely yes.  My kids are older.  Jessica is in Cape Town for the semester which is so awesome.  Emily start college in the fall and is returning from Europe in a week.  Josh is working and coming back and forth from the city.  Fred plans on spending as much time as possible out here too. It works. 

I was speaking to someone on the phone this week about the path her life has taken.  Her path and decisions in many ways are very similar to mine.  We both made decisions to be home because we thought it was the right thing to do.  I am glad I did it and I am never one to look back and say I wish I could have because I have to believe that I made the decisions I made at that time because it made sense then.  I have to trust myself. 

Yet, now as I am looking forward about what I want the next five/ten years to look like, I am taking time to think about my Mom leaving us too soon, my relationships with my kids, my friendships that I want to nurture more, the things that I need to make me happy and attempting to just recharge.  Not so easy but I am starting to enjoy the process. 

Comments (Archived):

  1. luchenbach

    In the words of Woody Guthrie “take it easy, but take it!”

    1. Gotham Gal

      very nice.

  2. Jill

    Enjoy yourself Joanne!  I still enjoy checking out your blog and seeing what you are up to.  You are very current with everything new and new york! Best, Jill

    1. Gotham Gal

      thanks jill. hope you are doing well.

  3. daryn

    Enjoy the recharge – I could use one myself, but instead find myself diving in further. Feels like the right thing to do right now though, so no regrets.Brooke’s taking the next couple of months off for maternity leave, hopefully I’ll get to join her for some of it.

    1. Gotham Gal

      you should join her for some of it….absolutely.

  4. Tracey Jackson

    Sometimesvwe have to be quiet and do nothing for our next move to appear and make itself known.

    1. Gotham Gal

      i am going to ponder on that one. very nice.

  5. Sunchowder

    Cherish the moments…:)

  6. Mark Gavagan

    Grief stays with us for many years, slowly succumbing to the passage of time.

    1. Gotham Gal

      and it comes in many stages.