It’s actually quite refreshing to have the house to yourself and just have it be you, and your roommate’s dog, Charlie (who you adore). It hasn’t happened in a while, but I realized that the power of Quiet, and the power of slow, may be some of the most underrated things out there. It’s something I am not very great at, but I think it’s something that I want to focus on. I think I’ve perfected the 364823493 miles per hour lifestyle- which has its advantages. But now I want to veer left and try the super slow life. Or at least learn how to switch gears. 5 to 1. I’ve got the 5 down, now I need to learn how to downshift to 1. I think perfecting that shift is going to be clutch (pun intended).
It’s funny, in this fast paced life, some things you can’t force. Like human relationships. With your work colleagues. Your family. Your friends. In this 140 character, ADD, 2 minute elevator pitch world, some things can’t be condensed into a sound bite. You can’t substitute the hours you spend, doing nothing of real consequence, organically sharing life details and life stories. Well, I think at work there are some things you can do (as Ruth has made me painfully aware/things I can do to improve), but in your personal life (family, friends, etc..) I’m not sure that’s possible. Or at least much, much harder to replicate
Which makes me wonder. How do you keep relationships when you’re half a world away? Is the base strong enough to withstand miles and miles and Skype calls? What about new friends, family, relationships in general? Maybe the point is that we slow down long enough to think about all those people we really care about, and build those relationships through whatever medium we have
And sometimes it starts with building that relationship with yourself. Or at least saving time to be with your own thoughts, uninterrupted by phones, work, or the outside world.
(Dogs being the only exception)
So I Quit My Job and Moved to India 