It simply amazes me that I have not written a blog post in 2 years, and that in the blink of an eye it has been over 3 years since arriving here in Ajijic, Mexico.  What is crazier to me is the series of events that have occurred in the days, weeks and years since then.  In my last post I spoke to the importance of taking time to Re-set, Re-group and Re-ignite, and just like that, my title to this post “Starting over… Again!” leads me back to that post. Let me begin with the Good, The Bad, and the WTF? I contemplated using “H” but let’s be honest the “F” fit.

The Good! Jeff has been back and forth between here and Canada, and we had made more improvements to our Tiny home and his office space “PI”.  My best friends moved here and we all enjoyed some new experiences and getting re-acquainted with the area. I moved into a new office space and continued to network and make new friends. I enjoyed Coaching new clients, and of course my continued quest to become fluent in Spanish! Todo Bueno!

The Bad!  There has been multiple family health crises and the passing of some very special people in our lives and of course a global pandemic.  As a caregiver by nature, I took this role to heart, always running errands, appointments with doctors, medication schedules, meal prep and ensuring that all was in order.  I have zero regrets for being who I am as a caregiver, or as I was jokingly called “Julie the Cruise Director”, however for the most part I chose to put my stuff on pause to ensure the wellbeing of the people closest to me. Then came, the concern that if I really started to focus on myself and my Coaching, that another shoe would drop.

The WTF? Well, the other shoe dropped, and hard!  What happened last year was a gut punch and still a year later I can feel the shock of disbelief.  Shortly after Jeff arrived back in Mexico, he started to notice a feeling of discomfort and fullness in his stomach area, thinking it was something to do with a hiatal hernia, we consulted with our close friend and trusted physician, Dr. Alex Hernandez.  A physical exam, 2 ultrasounds, full blood work up, MRI, and several trips to see specialists in Guadalajara, the news was unbelievable……Jeff was diagnosed with Stage 2 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. WTF was happening? So many questions and emotions, predominately denial and anger.  This was not how 2022 was supposed to go! It was supposed to be travel, new adventures in Mexico, new foods, our friends, the culture, new jobs.  We were really just starting our new life here!!  My role as caregiver up to then was preparing Jeff and I for an adventure neither one of us wanted, but were determined to conquer… and we did! I will speak in more detail of this chapter in future blogs…

All of this brings me to today, “Starting over…Again! It is NOT starting over from the beginning, but from where I left off.  It is about creating space, time, focus, and finding my way back to myself and my career. This has led me to creating “The Art of Day by Day “.  This new mindset gives me space and time to focus on new habits, new ideas, accepting that sometimes I will make mistakes, motivation to learn and build my Coaching practice, and the Joy of assisting my clients to fulfill their dreams. Despite all that has happened in the past, and all that will happen in the future, it is important to stay true to yourself, your vision, your support system, your sense of humour, and to approach each day as a new opportunity to “Start Again” – Day by Day.