The Country Life

The country has slowed things down.

It's been over two years since I made a move from The City to The Country, and it literally has an effect on just about everything I do. I wake up early and go to sleep early. The days of staying up past 2 AM every night are looooong gone. My social life is pretty much non-existent these days. Back home, I could go out just about every night, simply because there was always something to do. It doesn't mean I would turn up every night, but it means the opportunities were there to turn up every night. The scenery was...it was plentiful...in abundance. It was paradise!

Here? Shiiiiiit, turning up is going to Raising Cane's since they don't close til 11 during the week (or maybe 12. I don't remember.) This place woulda been heaven for me in my undergrad days, because I would just hang out with my peers who went to the colleges in town. Now though? In my early-30s? Nah, cuh. All it has done is make me old and cranky.

But even with my social life going to hell in a hand basket, the peace and quiet is cool and a nice change of pace...gotta admit that. It isn't the worst thing in the world and pretty much ensures that if I have goals I want to accomplish, there's no reason to not get to them now, because there's nothing remotely serving as a distraction here.

The consistent happenings now are waking up at 5 AM, Monday-Friday, to go workout in the gym, going to work right after that and finishing my doctorate, and as much as I bitch about my surroundings due to the lack of...well, anything that resembles fun for a brother like myself, this is right where I need to be. On weekends, I hit the park down the road and run a few miles and there are always people out enjoying the scenery. Whether it's a family of four, or a young couple jogging together, or an elderly couple taking a stroll, it's cool. There's always someone running like I am and we'll give each other a high-five as we pass each other on the trail and motivate each other to keep going. That stuff I truly enjoy and don't take for granted at all.

2/24/14 @ 9:14 P.M.