We are in the final countdown to liftoff from Tranquillity Base. I used to joke that I was feeling no pain here, but that I was slightly anesthetized. This morning, my last morning in my mom’s house, I am fully awake and ready for what’s next.

The 2.5-week journey back into full-time employment has had its ups and downs. But I am very happy to report, mostly ups. A whole lot of ups.

Downs include an achy butt from sitting so much in a crappy chair. (Took my exercise ball to sit on, Thursday, much better.) Constant temptation of the bowls of candy in every conference room. (Zero tolerance policy, no candy eaten yet. The pop-tarts in the kitchen are a problem as well. But I’m learning about my willpower. It is strong. Zero pop tarts consumed.)

Ups are still coming in daily. I’m very excited about the full range of skills I am being asked to bring to the job. Yesterday I spent 2 hours working with InDesign on a tech spec sheet. It was fun. I came from a design background. And getting to wow my executives with their fantastic find (“you mean we don’t have to send out for these designs and wait for a week?”) I know this is giving my manager a lot of joy.

So the fuel source seems to be solid. And the first check hit the account yesterday. A good portion of it is going to the new house, but there is still a bit left over. And a few consulting jobs are popping up that can be done on the weekends, to bring in some options for furnishings.

I’ve told the kids, “We’re all going to have beds and desks and food and shelter, but we’re going to be fairly zen for the first few weeks.” They were totally cool with it. I know they are ready to liftoff from Tranquility Base. They’ve expressed their exhaustion more than their excitement about the journey ahead. But that’s cool. It’s an adult issue and not something they should be worrying about. But they are ready to spread out their things and not have to pick up all their things and straighten up each room of the house every single day.

We’re all a year older, and three years older since we embarked on our first journey. A lot has changed. And we’ve been through some great times. We’re all welcoming the next leg of the journey.

And while I can’t really go into it, at this juncture, I believe a co-pilot is entering the picture in a big way. Her assistance is limited to non-kid time at the moment, by the grace and power of the parenting plan, but she’s already added so much joy and energy to the flight plan, that I’m optimistic and charged up about the potential.

I am feeling no pain here, this last morning in my mom’s house. I am feeling no anxiety either. Just an openness to what IS and what is AHEAD. I am relaxed and comfortable with where I am and where I’m going. We have all done a lot of prep work to get here. There is no sadness at what we are leaving behind, even as the new ship is bare walls and survival systems only, at this point.

But the view. The view is everything. I can see our next year and I’m ready to stretch into it.

Namasté,

John McElhenney – life coach austin texas
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image: vintage kids book on space travel, joe haupt, creative commons usage