Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, right?

Only nothing quite so dramatic is going on here.

We’re simply moving to Arizona.

But in some ways, it feels somehow bigger.

We’re purging, in a major way. Not paying to move furniture that isn’t serving a purpose. Not moving kitchen things that cost more to move than they’d cost to buy again.

And when we acquire new things, which is inevitable, we’re promising each other to be mindful.

That will mean leaving rooms emptier than “they” say they should be. We’re no longer listening to the voices in our head that tell us how to live our lives.

Just because the new house is bigger doesn’t mean we have to fill every inch of space.

The temptation will be there, definitely, but in order to stay mindful, we’ll fill our house slowly and deliberately.

It helps that we don’t have any friends yet in Phoenix.

No friends means no need to have a housewarming party.

Our family isn’t the kind we have to decorate for, or have things “just so.”

They’ll never be “just so,” anyway.

But I am interested in a fresh start. I’m excited to figure out our new routine. My office will be down the hall, so what changes?

Where will we exercise?

Where will we do our grocery shopping?

How often will we go to Scottsdale?

How often will the rest of my family go to Scottsdale while I’m working?

Will we survive as a one-car family? I’m optimistic that we can, but I’m tracking my Lyft expenses anyway. Once those start approaching the car payment/insurance threshold, we might have to work something else out. But lord, it hurts my heart to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000 on a minivan.

My work is getting a fresh start after we move.

I’ve asked to get out of my partnership arrangement at Stacking Benjamins. The story there is not dramatic. I joined up with Joe and OG in 2015, and by 2018, I lost enthusiasm for the project. I want to work on projects that light me up, and that was no longer happening for me.

So my new home office represents a clean slate.

How will I fill my days?

Which projects will be my early morning projects?

Will I get to sit outside and get work done?

What, exactly, am I going to do once I’m there?

The answers are fuzzy, and they change day to day.

Honestly, I don’t know.

But I’m ready to find out.