Pura Vida Series: Part One

Making changes to support the concept of family

Over the past 3 years, I enjoyed a job that allowed me to travel quite a bit. I thoroughly enjoyed being the new guy in town and making connections wherever I landed. From the local bartender, to the hotel staff, and in most cases local residents who welcomed me with open arms (in fact, I’m in Costa Rica right now with a friend I met during my travels a couple years ago). It’s a wonderful feeling to be welcomed and to see life through a different social setting and to make connections beyond your day-to-day surroundings. 

Traveling so frequently also brings a feeling of disconnection. In many ways, I felt like a nomad and my home felt more and more like a hotel room. My friends back home became more and more like close acquaintances from college or high school; our interactions limited to Facebook comments and silly text messages here and there. I knew it was important to invest in a chosen family and I would need to make a concerted effort to cultivate those relationships. Instead of investing in a widespread of people, I chose to focus on those that seem to know me best and stuck around when things weren’t so exciting and reciprocated the love and support I tend to give to others. There are a lot of great people in Seattle, and many have shown me lots of love, but it can be difficult to feel included when you’re traveling all over the place. 

In light of all this, I made changes… instead of dreaming about moving to a new city (typical wanderlust tendencies), I took a job that involved little to no travel (gasp!). I also ended a second job that took me away to SF fairly often. I also moved to an apartment that felt better suited for hosting friends, with a rooftop grill and a nice view to boot. I started spending more time with close friends and it feels good to know I have family at home. I may have given in to the urge to travel a "few" times this year, but at least they were mostly long weekends away and not work-related. What can I say? Old habits die hard…and I have fun stories and new connections to remind me that life is good, as long as you focus on the things that matter. Here’s to more investment in chosen family, near and far.

#PuraVida