Friends/Family:
Brother's Family, Mom and Dad, Bob, Lisa
I got a divorce and moved to San Diego and Princess Diana was my refuge in the storm.
I remember it was a Saturday and a beautiful day. I was in the bedroom. Bob was outside mowing the yard. I called my brother in CA and told him I thought I was getting a divorce. He said to come out to San Diego and let's talk. The next day when I got to work, there was a plane ticket on my desk. My brother had over-nighted a ticket to me. I went to my boss and explained the situation. He was so understanding and said to take as much time as I needed. The original plan was to go to San Diego for a week.
I got there and we eased into the conversation about my fate. My brother and his wife were awesome. They listened. They let me cry. My nephews got me iced tea. It was a very supportive environment. A day before I was to go back, my sister-in-law said, "Why don't you stay a bit longer". So, I did. I called my boss and said I would like to extend my time off. He was great and said okay. At that point, my thoughts became more committed to moving ahead. My sister-in-law and I started looking for apartments, storage facilities and the job market. By the time I got on the plane, I had rented storage and my next home. I would be back in about a month.
I got off the plane and Bob was there to pick me up. We were going to dinner to talk. At dinner, I announced I was moving to CA. It was a civil conversation and I felt good although sad. From that point on, the changes came like a tsunami. The word was out. Friends came through with love and support and others chose sides. I started packing and, as I went through the things, Bob and I would negotiate on who got what. Again, it was civil.
When it came time for me to leave, the reality of the situation hit me. I got extremely sad and started to doubt my decision. I almost felt desperate. But my friend Kirstin, who was not an obvious player in my life at the time, really came through. She offered her home to me as a retreat and a ride to the airport on my final day. As I pulled away from my house, my heart was pitch black. My dog, Blu was to stay with Bob but I was so going to miss her. I held her and sobbed. As I pulled away, a small voice kept me focused on this being the right thing to do. Plus, Bob had moved on and was off diverting his attention elsewhere.
The next day my Deluxe group threw yet another happy hour but this time it was a going away party for me. They were so sweet and boosted my spirits. It was so nice to know that I had such a good support system even though some of our mutual married friends became casualties of the split. They gave me a globe, something I always wanted. It was to become my quest to travel around it.
I got on the plane and started my CA journey in Lake Tahoe. My whole family decided to vacation there for the week. It was, yet again, a great support system but the reality of my new life beginning was daunting.
I finally got to San Diego and lived with my brother for about 2 weeks. While there, I did a lot of artwork around their house. It was a great way to refocus my thinking. I also got to spend some quality time with my nephews and we took advantage of it. We hit all the tourist spots and went to the park and theater. It was as comfortable as it could be.
Lisa came out to visit me when I finally was ready to move into my condo. She was a godsend.
In history, this happened: 1997
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1997.html
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