My new job requires me to be in the office 3x per week, so I drive 160 miles each way to and from Lincoln. It’s been nice being in an urban environment (Lincoln is no New York or Chicago but compared to Lexington, NE where I currently live it is certainly more expansive). I’ve been enjoying the food scene there, checking out music shops and other local stores (I had some great pho the other day for lunch). The Nebraska State Capitol building is visible from a lot of areas in the town, the UNL campus is pretty to take walks through and my favorite parts have been the historic buildings and architecture still being preserved and actively in use.
My wife and I have been considering whether moving makes sense in the near future. The fact is that at my current pay it would not be economically feasible to uproot the family and after my layoff experience in the summer and the shakiness of the economy, job uncertainty still runs high in my psyche, though I enjoy my new gig and company very much and have a small sliver of hope that I can turn it into something truly long lasting and meaningful in the future.
In other news, my friends sent me a rough track for a new song they are working on and they’ve asked me to record some drum parts for it. I’ve been diving in and mapping out parts during my drives (an upside to the long commute, lots of music listening and quiet thinking which I haven’t had time for really since my son was born 5 years ago).
All in all, sitting with the gratitude I feel is enough.