Settling In

The Friday Five on RevGalBlogPals is about moving. I haven't moved in years and years, so I thought I would answer these questions with my latest move -- from one job to another -- in mind.

1. A big move is looming, name one thing that you could not possibly part with, it must be packed? There were things in my lab which made it feel like my space -- Longaberger baskets, colored pens, pictures, CDs, etc.
2. Name one thing that you would gladly leave behind I was ready for a change, so leaving my old job behind was OK. I gladly left the rats behind!
3. How do you prepare for a move: a. practically?Oh, not very well. I was very concerned as I left my old job that I would leave everything in good shape, with the things that needed finished or inventoried or organized done. During the two weeks between resigning and starting the new job, I focused mainly on that aspect. I had known that I was waiting for something, without looking for it, for a while, so I had been doing my best to keep everything in a manner that would allow for change, but it still required almost all of those two weeks to prepare the lab to be left. That didn't leave me much time to pack and finish. In fact, I had to go back the Saturday after my last day to finish. b. spiritually/ emotionally? I was surprised that emotionally it wasn't a difficult move to make. I think God had already prepared me for it. I was ready. Spiritually, I wonder if anyone beginning to work for the church would feel inadequate. I did, and sometimes still do. It's just trust in God that gets me through. Mostly...
4. What is the first thing you look for in a new place? As I moved into my new office, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the space functional and feel like my space. It was fun to do.
5. Do you settle in easily, or does it take time for you to find your feet in a new location? Physically, because there was a time of overlap in my new job when I didn't have an office (or a phone, a key, or a trash can), it took some time to settle in. That was a strange time of limbo, but it wasn't long, and it worked out. As to settling into the job, I'm still doing that in some ways. Maybe it's best to never do that; maybe always being willing to grow and change is a goal.