Monday, April 2, 2012

Flexibility & Spontaneity

I do well with structure. Personality tests have shown that I am a Gold on True Colors and a strong J on Myers-Briggs. At first, I struggled with the lack of structure thrown at me while moving, staying home with the little man, and job hunting. Over time I am doing better with having less structure in my life.

Less structure gives us needed flexibility right now. John worked nights for two weeks, but it did not disrupt the limited routine that Alex and I had developed. I have been able to handle many aspects of selling a home in another state, including making countless phone calls during the "work day." The closing process can be unpredictable, but I could be at home waiting for phone calls or emails to help us complete the next steps.

My biggest surprise is enjoying spontaneous activities with Alex. We have a little structure in our days and weeks but not too much. I like doing (little) fun things on a whim. Last Monday, Alex asked for a cookie. I don't keep cookies around, but I had the ingredients on hand to bake peanut butter cookies using this simple recipe. Alex helped and John took some to work the next day.

On Thursday, we spontaneously decided to try a new pizza place on the recommendation of one of John's co-workers. We found our new favorite pizza place! We plan to go back to Pizz'A Chicago. (They even had "Pop" on the menu.)

Friday was a beautiful day, so I wanted to walk to one of our favorite parks. It is about 0.8 miles from our apartment, but we had not tried to walk there. Alex and I walked to the park in less than a half hour, and then John met us there after work. Alex did well with the walk and next time we can walk both ways.

Even with more free time and flexibility, some things in my life have not changed. My apartment is not spotless. I make dinner most nights, but I am not suddenly cooking fancy or complicated meals. Once we got into a groove, I really started to enjoy staying home with Alex. I have been home long enough now to make it hard to go back once I get a full-time job. At least I have a new appreciation for flexibility, free time, and spontaneity.

1 comment:

Alison said...

YAY! for flexibility!
Alison xx