My Love of Music

Music.  One of my passions.  From as early in life as I can remember, my home and heart have been filled with music.

The music of my childhood.

Both of my parents played instruments as youngsters, have good singing voices and love music.  Throughout my childhood in the 70's, joyous sounds of singing and old records regularly flooded our home.  My dad even enjoyed moonlighting as lead singer in a band when he was in graduate school and I was in pre-school.  (Those were the days when a little girl could ride on the gas tank of her daddy's motorcycle to band practice in the small town where we lived.)

Later, in my grade school days, I would sing my heart out through a variety of make-believe microphones (and later a real one through my stereo!), engage Dad in duets (our favorite harmonies, Everly Brothers All I Have To Do Is Dream), make up dance routines with my little brother (we can still do a mean Greased Lightning), and begin piano and flute lessons.

Years later, playing flute in high school - big 80's hair, blue eyeshadow and all!

The music of my youth.

In high school, I enjoyed the equivalent of a star quarterback's glory days by performing as Annie in my high school's spring musical my Junior year.  We were in a newly built high school with a state-of-the-art theater, and we filled 800 seats for three nights in a row to standing ovations - what a rush!  Glory days, indeed.

Onstage, in my red Annie wig and red Annie dress.

During those high school years, I also sang with our church youth choir, which would go on tour during the summer, even performing in Disneyworld one year!  

My favorite memory of church-singing was a quiet performance of Amy Grant's El Shaddai.  Such a simple, beautiful song.  More significantly, that is my clearest early memory of music being a strong spiritual connection for me, too.  I just felt so MOVED as the song came up through me.

Interestingly, given my current life, I experience the strongest spiritual connection when combining music and the sea, even back then.  Since my family had started vacationing to the small island where I now live, I can remember riding in the bow of our little Boston Whaler, my brother and Mom nearby, with my Dad on the tiller.  As we cruised through the spectacular waters, my teenage self would belt out Madonna's La Isla Bonita and other favorite songs of the day, letting the wind carry my voice away.  Exhilaration.  Pure peace. 

Fast forward a couple of decades:  Nashville

At the tail end of my 30's a couple years ago, I had just emerged from some dark days and was entering a time of transition.  Music played an important role in my life again.

My "leftie" guitar

Seeking a fun and creative outlet, I began guitar lessons in my Midwestern City.

I also started writing lyrics and learning the wonderful world of song-writing (shout out to Nashville Songwriters Association International).

I made several road trips to Nashville for songwriter classes and to explore the wonderful small city as a potential new home for me and Angel.

On one visit, my mother and I were excited to attend the Grand Ole Opry, being performed in the original Ryman Auditorium that night!  Such an historic, intimate setting with fantastic acoustics.

We knew we would enjoy all performers, but we were most excited to see Dolly Parton!

Dolly Parton, in all her glory, gave an outstanding live performance.

First, however, someone new to me came onstage.  Rebecca Lynn Howard.  

I hadn't heard of her until that night, but from the moment she opened her mouth, I was transported.  She sang what I now know to be her break-through bestselling song, Forgive.  As her words resonated through me and her powerful voice soared through the old venue, tears streamed down my face, and I became a lifelong fan.  ("Forgive, well that's a mighty big word for such a small man" - what a great line!)  I would later enjoy Rebecca's performances at the famous Bluebird Cafe and other songwriter showcases.

My introduction to the talented Rebecca Lynn Howard at the Grand Ole Opry

Fast forward to present:  Island Living

As you know, I ended up not in Nashville, but on this special island, where music continues to play an important part of my life.  

For example, I luuuuuuuv the sound and vibe of old-school Bahamian music, soca and rake-n-scrape.  When Beau and I are out to the local bars, that's what really gets me twitching in my seat when it comes over the stereo.  And when we can hear live bands and dance, like at his birthday party, even better!

More significantly on a daily basis, music is just around me all day now!  In my former life, I spent most of my waking hours in an office.  And, while I would have been permitted to play music at my desk, I didn't.  For me, serious concentration over contracts and legal documents requires quiet.

Now, however, serious concentration flies out the window!  (Unless I'm writing, of course.)  While I do the dishes, cook, clean the floors, organize files, manage dog duties and otherwise go about my day, the music is on.  

And it's usually on LOUD, especially when I'm cleaning or cooking.  

And, with apologies to my neighbors, I'm usually singing along at the top of my lungs.  More than once I've been dancing around the kitchen, singing at high volume, only to turn around and see that Beau has walked in the house and is now gazing at me with a quizzical expression on his face!

Music is joy.  It is connecting with others.  It is spiritual.  It is fun.  It is part of me.  It is part of my Better Life.

What about YOU?  What role does music play in your Better Life?

Wow! A Better Life Profile

Well, Better Lifers, here's another first.  A delightful blog has published a profile about me and Choosing the Better Life!  I am amazed, honored and extremely humbled.

You may recall that I recently wrote a book review for two lovely women, Lois and Victoria, discussing their newly published book, A Little Book About Something Much Bigger.  We first "met" via Twitter (@LittleBookAbout).  Part of why we connected online initially was our shared beliefs in living from a place of gratitude, following those inner nudgings, and otherwise living by Choosing the Better Life kinds of principles.  

Lois and Victoria developed those themes even further and highlight them in their blog post.  Thank you for being part of this Better Life journey!

Do You Miss It? (Big Life Change)

Last week, I posted about things I miss (and don't miss) as it relates to the specifics of island living.  Today, we tackle the bigger picture of what I miss (or don't miss) as it relates to the major changes I've made in leaving the practice of law and life in a big USA City for life on a tiny island.

So, in that context, do I miss it?  The general answer is a resounding no.  Particularly, when people ask me if I miss practicing law, I surprise even myself by answering that I haven't missed it or looked backwards AT ALL!  I mean, I miss colleagues and clients, I miss having that professional identity, I miss the ego aspects of it.  And I definitely miss the paycheck.  But that's all at a fairly low level - I really don't miss it.  

I was fortunate to be successful as a lawyer, but it was never my true calling.  Even after law school, I worked as an educational consultant before going into private practice.  I liked it well enough, but I didn't LOVE my job as a lawyer, and I didn't feel like I was REALLY making a difference in anyone's life in a way that mattered to me.  Add to that the pressures of time, politics, business development, high-stakes deals and the overall stress and exhaustion, I just don't miss it!

One of our Better Lifers, who is himself a lawyer, asked me some specifics about this in a comment to last week's post:

• "Dawn, do you miss the practice of law at all? I know that at least for awhile I would be just fine being separated from it, but having spent so much of my life in and around the law, I think it would be tough to let go, both emotionally as well as intellectually."

I touched on some of that above, but let's elaborate.  I didn't struggle at all with letting go.  That is, once the decision was made, I didn't struggle.  Keep in mind that I decided to quit my job and take a "year off" - anticipating a career change of some sort - well before I decided to visit the island, much less move here!  Any struggle I had was in leading up to that decision.  Since making the decision, having quit and eventually moved to the island, I have not struggled at all to let go.  

Emotionally, I never fully identified myself with being a lawyer anyway.  Certainly, it was my primary identity to the outside world, but because it didn't feel totally like ME, I was actually seeking to find something that was a better match.  

Intellectually, I haven't missed it either.  I am surrounded by very bright people and dynamic discussions that keep me on my toes.  I also am stretching into new areas (e.g., freelance writing) and enjoy the writing aspect.  Frankly, I'm learning so many new island-related skills and details that it's a bit of a rude awakening to realize that all my lawyer skills pale in comparison - and don't get me very far - when it comes to fishing for food, cleaning fish, driving a boat, making home/boat repairs, growing produce and so many other talents required to live well on an island.

• "I know that there are so many advantages to your situation, but have you felt the need to replace the intellectual stimulation you may have had as a lawyer with something else since you have embraced the island life?" 

I am so happy being domestic and living the island life that I haven't felt any need to replace the intellectual stimulation.  Like I said above, I am intellectually satisfied in other ways now.  Also, I'm very involved in my adopted community and put my organizational and project management skills to use in ways that feel even more rewarding (with direct impact) than I felt before.

• "Will you still keep your law license up to date, or have you permanently walked away from the profession?"

Although I don't think I would ever practice law again, I recognize that we can't predict all future events, so never say never.  However, I NEVER want to take another Bar Exam!  So, yes, I maintain my law license in the two states where I am licensed.  I've gone to inactive status to save on annual fees since I'm not practicing.

One last thing about not missing the practice of law . . . There is a distinction between not practicing anymore and not being a lawyer anymore.  I've heard some say, "Once a lawyer, always a lawyer."  (I think I've run into this most on Facebook, Twitter and blogs where there is an abundance of "former lawyers" in new careers or working as writers in some foreign land!  There are way more of us than I would have guessed.)  I still identify myself as a lawyer sometimes.  I confess, sometimes it's an ego thing because, in the face of my current unemployed and homemaker role, it gives me instant "credibility" with intellectual snobs or people who can't figure out how to pigeonhole me.  Also, the skills I learned from almost 15 years of lawyering are transferable (e.g., writing, public speaking, research, attention to detail, project management, organization and time management, etc.) so I'm still a lawyer in that sense.

And as any "non-lawyer" who is married to a lawyer knows, I will forever parse words, push for one more detail about something I'm trying to figure out, and be long-winded.  :)  Once a lawyer, always a lawyer. 

Wow, that was a lot about lawyering.  But in terms of big life changes, our careers define so much of who we are, I guess that makes sense.  Do I miss other big-picture aspects?  I don't miss big-City living at all.  To the extent I miss specific luxuries that came with City living, I addressed that last week, and I just don't miss any one thing THAT MUCH.  

Bottom line, as with all life decisions, it's all about the personal fit.  I think, as humans, we can be very adaptable.  I was able to thrive in the big City and fast lane career.  But, for me, my island life is simply a better fit with who I am and how I want to live my life - simply, surrounded by a beautiful environment (especially sea and sun), in a small community, and focusing on the things that matter most to me.

What else have I forgotten?  What other "big life picture" things do you wonder whether I miss or not?  What do you think you might miss?

Not Just A Pollyanna!

I've been ruminating on this post for a while.  As you can tell, I try to have an upbeat approach to most things.  Yet, sometimes, with these blog posts, I've wondered if readers ever roll their eyes or think I'm just some fluffy Pollyanna.

Although I have always been a glass-half-full optimist, I believe that I'm also grounded in reality.  I was fortunate to enjoy a stable, protected, happy childhood as a solid foundation from which to springboard into the world.  As I entered adulthood and life brought its various experiences - good, bad and otherwise - my world view and life philosophy expanded.  There's a lot of garbage out there!  But, as Anne Frank said, "I still believe that people are really good at heart."  Always, my family supported me with unconditional love and encouraged me that I could do whatever I dreamed and put my mind to do.

All of this is merely by way of background in The General Development of Dawn.  However, what is REALLY at the heart of my blog philosophy of Choosing the Better Life (and some of my potentially eyeball-rolling comments) can be pinpointed more exactly . . .

As I alluded to vaguely in my About page and background blog posts, my life turned upside down a few years ago.  I don't like to discuss it, and certainly not in such a public forum, but let's just say it involved large scale emotional trauma, deception, public humiliation, heartache and the carpet of my entire life being pulled out from underneath me from several corners at once.  Not much fun, to put it lightly.

I was not nearly so optimistic in those dark days.  I really was in more of a survival mode.  A dear friend, who had suffered extreme personal tragedy in her past, thoughtfully passed on wonderful words of advice - just live your life in 15 minute increments until you can face more.  Don't worry about the rest of your life, or next year, or next month, or next week, or tomorrow, or even the next hour.  Just get through the next 15 minutes.  Brush your teeth.  Take the dog out.  Just get through the next 15 minutes.

Eventually, I came out of the fog and found peace within myself again.  With renewed Faith (having leaned on my spiritual beliefs harder during those dark days than I had in quite some time), I determined to find and follow my inner nudgings.  As I did so, I began to wonder about the next phase of my life.

Well, now I'm in that next phase, and it is WONDERFUL!  But it's NOT because I live on an island (though that helps).  It's NOT because I'm spared the office grind (though that helps, too).  It's NOT because I'm in a good relationship (yup, another helper).  It IS because I am just so very thankful for all the good in my life, down to even the smallest of things, and I try not to take anything for granted.  It IS because I remember the sting of so many negative feelings, emotions and experiences and am so thankful to be in a better place in my life.  It IS because I'm aware that it is those very experiences that pointed me toward the happy path I now travel.  Having experienced such "dark days," I am oh-so-appreciative of these much lighter days.  Even a "bad day" now is a good one!

I still have plenty of everyday problems just like the rest of the population.  Things break.  Friends disappoint.  Family annoys.  (Mother, of course I'm not talking about you!)  Relationships pose misunderstandings or differences to work through.  Dogs get ticks.  Finances have to be treated carefully.  Loved ones encounter health and other challenging issues.  I experience sadness, frustration, anger, resentment, loss, grief, hurt, stress, etc.  It's just that I remain - at all times - thankful for the good in my life, even in the face of whatever the issue of the day is.  And I make a conscious effort - although I have to remind myself some days - to Choose the Better Life, take the higher road, don't sweat the small stuff, and all the other cliches that have nuggets of wisdom in them.

So, I'm not a Pollyanna.  It's just that I've experienced awful stuff - like so many of you - so I don't let the regular crapola of life weigh me down.  I'm grounded in myself, centered in Spirit, at peace and comfortable in my own skin.  When things go awry, I remind myself to hold steady on that even keel and not get caught in the swirl.

This Choosing the Better Life blog is about all of that for me, conveniently packaged in an island setting.  I'm not here to tell anyone else how to do it - only you can figure that out.  It's also not to promote island living for everyone!  Plenty of people would not enjoy days without electricity or water, a complete absence of shopping and big box store convenience, or the small town everyone-knows-everything communal living.  For me, however, it is bliss (well, most days).

While I was working up this blog post, I "happened" to come across another blog along those lines.  Written in a more cavalier tone than is my personal style, the blog post by Jonesy entertained me immensely and captured many of my thoughts about it all.  Check out "Hey Everyone!  Come see how great my life is!  How NOT to be a Douche Bag Blogger"

Also during this time, I came across a lovely blog post by Jodi Chapman of Soul Speak about how we define the "story" of our lives - and how it influences how we feel about it.  (By the way, one of the best benefits of having started a blog is that I've "met" so many wonderful, interesting, clever, like-minded bloggers!)  On her blog, and as she'd love for any of you to do, I shared the "old" story of my life and contrasted it to my "new" story:

OLD: I’m tired. I’m overworked. I’m stressed. I don’t have time for friends and fun. I live too far from family. I hate winter. I’m sick – again. I’ve had nothing but heartache in relationships. I’m reeling from emotional trauma. I let others determine how I feel. I’m lonely. My beloved dog is the brightest spot in my day. I’m Type A to the max. Life doesn’t feel as fulfilling as it should. I feel like I’m just marking time.

NEW: Endless sunshine and water views buoy my spirit daily. I enjoy seeing my family more often. I love having time to be happily domestic at home and social with many friends. Deep, steady, solid love fills my heart. I am healthy and rested. I’m content within myself. I’m still highly organized and detail-oriented, but I can go with the flow, too. I take each day as it comes and am open to how the future will unfold. I am thankful for the abundance of good and Grace in my life. I still love my dog but we’re no longer co-dependent. :)

I believe it is an internal mental/emotional/spiritual shift that matters as much as, if not more than, any external factors in determining how we feel about the lives we are living.  So, the next time you read one of my life-is-great blog posts, please pause to notice where maybe life isn't totally great but I'm choosing to focus on the good and appreciate that.  And then feel free to continue rolling your eyes at me!  Cheers to your new story for your own life and to Choosing The Better Life for yourself in small ways every day!

How Did You End Up On An Island? Part 2

If you've been reading along with me, you'll know that the answer to Part 1 of this question involved opening myself up to broader possibilities and taking the leap of quitting my job as a lawyer.  As I wrote in that post, my job for the next year was going to be to design an exciting new life, one that was more in alignment with my true self and how I really felt inside, now that I would have the luxury of time to sift through the clutter of our hectic lives and figure mine out!

Okay, So You Quit Your Midwestern Job, But How Did You End Up On An Island?

I spent the first week of voluntary unemployment sleeping in, going to lunches and matinees with my stay-at-home-mom friends, snuggling on the couch with my darling dog, Angel, and voraciously reading books.  Or, as it helped me to think about it so that I didn’t feel too lazy, I spent my first week implementing the first component of my new plan – to just BE and decompress for a little while.

My first real order of business came quickly:  ditch winter and spend time with my family in Florida.  While there, I also planned to duck away for a week-long trip to a tiny island in the Bahamas where my family had been vacationing for 25 years.  We had even built a family home on the island, but I hadn’t visited in several years. 

Well, one week on the island turned into a month, turned into several months.  Walking into that small community of people who had known me since I was 16 was a true homecoming.  I love the small-town values combined with a sophisticated flair from an international mix of people, the indescribable beauty of the sea, the comforting warmth of the sunshine, the overwhelming peace and contentment I feel here, the pace and experiences of island living, and the time to fulfill all my domestic “nesting” leanings.

I was home.

Why go back to the cold?  Why return to the rat race?  I was HAPPY on the island.  At peace.  Satisfied.  Content.  To the core.  Sure, there were still a host of unknowns, but I quietly sensed that it would all just work itself out.  This is where Faith comes in for me.  For once, I wasn’t trying to plan every detail, and it was evolving better than I could have even imagined.  I trusted that would be the case with eventual work and other details, too.  

So, I sold off everything in the States and declared this small island my permanent home, with my U.S. base conveniently with family in South Florida.

Massive Moving Sale

I kept the beloved piano and giant sunflowers photo, but ditched the shovel and winter gear!

Amazing what you'll part with when the question becomes "Is this worth moving cross-country & paying for storage space?"

Taking stock and marking off one of my many lists during the sale/move.

Ahhh, already on my way to a Better Life!

A Word About Love

One other thing – as much as I try to protect the privacy of those close to me who may be less than enthused about their lives being broadcast in this manner (like my uber-private beau), my story is incomplete without one other critical piece.  Back on the island, I reconnected with The Great Love of My Life, a Bahamian man I had dated for 5 years more than a decade prior.  It is such a small community that I suspected I would cross paths with him when I came for my visit.  But there was so much water under our respective bridges that I wasn’t sure if we would even still be friends, much less entertain the possibility of a romantic reunion.   

However, some fires are inextinguishable.  Our love burns stronger than ever, and coming to this as wiser, more-experienced people gives us a fresh perspective and appreciation for what we have.  We are together now, and I expect we will be forever this time around. 

One of the few pics you'll see here of my beau!

Life is good.  I am so thankful every day that I followed those “illogical” nudgings.  To me, that is what Faith is all about, and mine has deepened tremendously.  I am so thankful that my Type A personality let go of my ingrained habit to plan and attempt to control every detail.  Rather, by trusting that something better would evolve for me and my loved ones, it does.  And it just keeps getting better in ways that I could not even have imagined.

Thank you for joining me on this amazing journey!  May you dare to live your life to its fullest, too.  It’s not your location that matters; it’s your state of mind!  Be open to Choosing The Better Life for yourself.  I can’t wait to hear about your journey!

How Did You End Up On An Island? PART 1

"How did you end up living on an island?"  This question is posed to me on a near-weekly basis.  The end result was a few decades in the making, so it defies any succinct answer, but I’ll give it a shot.

Where Were You Before You Moved To The Island?

After graduating law school and obtaining a Master’s Degree in Education in the Midwest, I moved to South Florida (where my parents and brother had relocated) and worked for four years as an educational/legal consultant to school districts across the southeastern United States.  Then, for a variety of reasons, I moved north to a wonderful Midwestern city that is unfortunately prone to long, grey, cold winters.  For 10 years I practiced in a downtown law firm, focusing on school law and business/transactional matters.  With everything you hear about law firms, I felt fortunate that I liked and respected my colleagues and the Firm’s clients.  Although I was not passionate about the actual work, I had found my groove, worked long hours at it, and just clicked along in the life I was living.

2009 brought a roller coaster of traumatic events in my personal life.  I regained my footing in 2010, but I began to approach life from a slightly different perspective.  I wanted to-the-core happiness.  I didn’t want to just keep going through the motions.  I sought personal fulfillment.  Blah, blah, blah.  :)  Things were calm and I was okay and life was fine.  But I felt a restlessness about me, a dissatisfaction, a haunting sense that I wasn't happy enough - if you can quantify such a thing - for the rest of my life.  I knew, or at least believed, that there had to be more to life than what I had tapped into.

So, I began to think about making some changes.  Specifically, I began to think about career change and geographic change.  

Why Did You Quit Your Job?

I started to slowly take the usual next steps associated with career/geographic change:  researching resume/CV formats for career-changers, updating my resume, contacting others to serve as references, researching other cities (particular nods to Nashville, Charleston and Wilmington), researching job opportunities in those areas, visiting and even browsing rental properties in Nashville, my top contender, and talking to a local realtor about listing my condo for sale. 

Visiting Nashville, playfully "praying for" a job teaching in Vanderbilt's College of Education, maybe my dream job?

But even with my growing interest in Nashville and exploration of other career possibilities, I kept hitting a wall.  I couldn’t bring myself to take steps much beyond thinking about it.  I couldn’t even finish my resume.  This lack of follow-through was foreign to my little organized self since I usually love to cross items off of my ever-present lists of things to do. 

Something was going on.  In wondering what was holding me back from the typical next steps, I kept feeling pulled in a direction that didn’t make sense to my logical brain . . . take a year off. 

“What?!  Take a year off?  And not have a job?  Not have a specific plan?  That is hardly a realistic option!  I’ve ALWAYS worked.  Even in college, every year I went home to waitress instead of going on a Spring Break.  Besides, I’m a responsible grown-up now.  You don’t just leave one job without having the next one lined up, especially in this economy!  Puhleez.”  My Type-A brain scoffed at the very notion. 

However, try as I might to redirect this impulse, it kept coming back to me.  Eventually, having promised myself to never again ignore those quiet nudgings that guide us from within, I finally gave in.  When I gave notice, my law partners were wonderfully supportive.  Some encouraged me to consider a leave of absence instead of a total break from employment with the Firm.  But I knew that I had to be completely untethered and relieved of all obligations or self-imposed time frames in order to make the most of my time off and really keep the options wide open.

I left my law firm early in 2011 amid tears, fears and high hopes for the unknown.  My “plan” was to simply BE for a few months, then start exploring other career/location possibilities in full force.  I’d budgeted savings to give myself an entire year off.  My job for the next year was going to be to design an exciting new life, one that was more in alignment with my true self and how I really felt inside, now that I would have the luxury of time to sift through the clutter of our hectic lives and figure mine out!

Little did I know how things would continue to unfold . . .

Before & After

This blog’s “About” page narrates a bit about my life before and after making the decisions that led me to life on an island.  That’s the big picture.  But all kinds of minutiae really drive home how my life has changed – for the better - from BEFORE to NOW.  For example:

Before - The alarm clock would jolt me rudely awake in the morning. 
Now - I never use an alarm.  Instead, I awaken naturally around 6:30 a.m. – give or take 15 minutes – as the light filters in.  If I’m really drowsy, my back-up “alarm” is the sound of the 6:30 a.m. boat passing by with people from a neighboring island heading to work on my island and others nearby. 

Before - I paid oodles of money to a City salon every few months to add blonde highlights to my dark blonde hair. 
Now - No salon.  Although still dark blonde at the roots as it’s growing in, my hair overall is super-bleached out by the sun and salt.  For free. 

Before - I almost always wore heels of some sort when I went out in the evening. 
Now - I almost always wear flip-flops when I go out in the evening.  And, umm, that would be my nice flip-flops, as opposed to my kick-around daytime flip-flops!  :) 

Before – I didn’t pay much attention to the night sky, and didn’t see many stars when I did. 
Now – Every night is a dazzling show of wonder.

Before – My lunch was usually a store-bought sandwich eaten at my desk as I worked.  Dinner was either a restaurant meal or bag of chips/dip in front of the tv at home. 
Now – Although I occasionally enjoy a dinner out on the town (you know, at one of the two restaurants), lunches and dinners are usually home-cooked and healthy.  Yes, Mom, even fruits and vegetables! 

Before – I rarely to never exercised.  I even paid someone to walk my dog while I was at work. 
Now – I walk my dog several times a day, and enjoy getting together with friends for outdoor yoga or brisk walks through the island.

Before – I saw my family in Florida for a week at Christmas and a couple other quick trips each year. 
Now – I spend time with my family almost every month when I pop over to Florida for island errands, doc appointments, etc.

Before – Despite plenty of friends in the City, we were all busy in our lives, and there were plenty of times that I was simply lonely.
Now – I am surrounded by loved ones and interact with friends on a daily basis.  Just walking out the front door, I’ll bump into a handful of friends while walking the dog or running to the store for an onion. 

Before – Dinner with friends was a fun night out at a trendy restaurant. 
Now – Dinner with friends is a fun night in - a more laid-back, intimate gathering, taking turns hosting in our own homes. 

Before – I loved my downtown condo, but my view was a very urban one:  looking at other condos from the front and overlooking a not-so-glamorous alley from the back! 
Now – Water, water, water is my peaceful view from most living areas of my home. 

Before – I was fairly addicted to taking taxicabs everywhere.
Now – Addiction cured; no taxis exist on the island! 

Before – Although I recycled, I didn’t think much more about waste or garbage. 
Now – I try not to waste food, and I compost scraps since I don’t have a food disposal.  I’m also acutely aware that any waste I create goes to the local dump, which we try to contain since it’s a tiny island and there’s nowhere else for garbage to go!

Before - I went to work in the dark and came home in the dark.  Fresh air and I interacted very little. 
Now - I am outside frequently throughout the day and eve, and, even when I'm inside, I usually have the windows and doors thrown open to the ocean breeze. 

Before – On occasion, I would feel happy immediately upon waking.  But most mornings, I felt either ambivalence or actual dread of the day. 
Now – Most days, I wake up happy, content, rested, peaceful and looking forward to the day.

Welcome to You, Happy Anniversary to Me!

Welcome!  Today is the launch of my new blog, Choosing The Better Life.  I am so pleased that you are here with me.  Together, let’s explore day-to-day island living through my eyes as a “recovering lawyer,” along with the musings that these life changes have brought about for me - all peppered with the striking characters, funny oddities and other random tidbits that cross my path or come to mind.  Thank you for joining me on this amazing journey. May you also choose the better life for yourself, however you define it!

Today’s blog launch is also a “Happy Anniversary” celebration.  Exactly one year ago today, I hopped on a small twin-engine plane bound for this tiny island in the sea, and I began choosing the better life for myself.  I had planned to stay about one week.  That turned into a month, which turned into a few months . . . All of a sudden, an entire year has flown by! 

I did make trips back to the U.S. – not the least of which was to close on the sale of my home up north, hurriedly sell off furniture and pack up the remainder into a U-Haul bound for a South Florida storage unit.

So, here I am, one year later, and I am as happy as a clam – err, conch.  Before I even bought a plane ticket south, I had planned to take a year off from work and had given notice at my law firm.  Although I didn’t dream that I would spend that year on an island, I did follow-through on my intent to JUST BE, to slow down the pace of life, enjoy everything more fully and trust that my path would evolve in a way that is best for me.  And, oh, has it ever!

The last year has been a joyful journey of nesting into my island home, making trips to old friends and new places, experiencing breath-taking views on a daily basis, dancing to rake-n-scrape bands, eating healthier, walking more, learning to drive a boat, snorkeling, being more active than my prior days behind a desk, hosting dinners, getting involved in the community, enjoying an island romance of the for-the-rest-of-my-life variety and so much more.  

One year and a thousand doubts ago, I took a leap.  I am so very glad I did, and I look forward to sharing this adventure with you as it continues!  Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll return.