So Far While Living On The East Coast…

…I have felt a calm come over me.

One of my fears with my decision to move back east was that I would come back and realize that it wasn’t for me either. I would arrive in Richmond, start working, and feel like I am missing out on opportunities and fun experiences back in California. Thankfully, I don’t feel that way at all and that fear was quickly squashed. My whole outlook on life has reversed in the past month. No longer do I lack the motivation to work out. No longer would I rather sleep the days away or eat as much horrible food as I often did in CA. No longer do I think about all the items on my to-do list knowing that most of them will not get accomplished because I simply don’t feel like doing them. If I have cried in Virginia, it is mostly because I am so happy (or because of my usual reaction to movies/songs/SYTYCD dances that move me tears). Overall, I feel more like myself than I have since January.

(Mom and I with our Cool Wrap Towels right before we got in the car for the road trip)

Getting to the East Coast was a bit of a tiring process. My mom and I drove in a car without air conditioning and in some states in temperatures close to 100 degrees. Thankfully we had a tiny bit of relief from towels that were cool when wet and a fan that spritzed water. Our main goal on the first day was to get to Flagstaff, Arizona to visit the South Rim of The Grand Canyon the following day. Visiting this national landmark was a goal we had tried to reach on our way to CA, but sadly, we ran out of time. I could try to describe what it felt like to see the Grand Canyon for the first time, but no words can sum up that moment. Even as fog started to roll in and rain fell from the sky blocking some of our view, it was an amazing experience.

Here’s my mom describing how she felt while at The Grand Canyon:

We hope to come back and visit again and possibly go to the North Rim next time.

My mom proved once again during those 2700 miles that she is an incredibly inspiring woman. We talked about everything, sang at the top of our lungs and fully enjoyed the views in each state. She has instilled in all 5 of the Wildermuth girls a sense of adventure and motivation to do what we feel is right for us. Not many parents would want to drive 2700 miles in a very packed vehicle. My mom has joined me twice in one year on that journey.

The whole road trip took about 5 days in total. On Monday, August 4th, we started the morning in Oklahoma, drove through Tennessee (Nashville is now a place my Mom and I have on our Must Visit List!), and kept going through the night to arrive at my new home with my sister, brother in law, and niece at 8am on Tuesday, August 5th. The following day I spent some time with my sister and niece, had my interview for my internship at the Virginia Film Office (that I ended up being accepted into! awwwww yeaaaaah!), and saw my best friend Natalie Quinn! That was only the first of many incredible days and events since that include: 1 comedy show at Funny Bones in Virginia Beach’s Town Center, 1 day out on a boat relaxing and basking in the sun, 1 walk on the Virginia Beach boardwalk with my Dad, at least 12 workouts with 3 including my work out buddy Lindsey Pritchett, 2 trips to Williamsburg, two visits to Virginia Beach, 1 day of helping my sister move back to college, 1 birthday party for Lily, thousands of great conversations with friends and family…and the list goes on and on! I have already gone to many cool, artsy areas of Richmond, a concert at a brewery(!), delicious restaurants, hung out with some of my favorite people, and still have many more people and places to visit! Although I do miss my LA friends, coworkers, and my sister Heidi, I am so glad I made the decision to move back to VA.

I don’t think it is good to limit myself to one idea as to where I should live or what I want to do for the rest of my life. I know that I still have more skills and subjects to learn, people to meet, and new experiences to go through that will all further shape my point of view. Who knows, maybe VERY far into the future, I will move back to the other coast (although I do hope to VISIT sooner). However, I am quite sure of one thing for now. Even if my life in the next couple months or years may be spread in several different places (New York? DC? Maryland? Georgia??), I can HAPPILY say that I will be living on the East Coast!