FOMO

Fear Of Missing Out – a form of social anxiety, whereby one is compulsively concerned that one might miss an opportunity for social interaction, a novel experience, profitable investment or other satisfying event. The fear is especially associated with modern technologies such as mobile phones and social networking services.

Obviously this acronym is a real thing. Wikipedia said so. Too many times than I can even count, I find myself worrying about all the things I am and have been missing out on by picking up and moving clear across the country. Can you believe that was almost four years ago?  My, my time flies.

But seriously…at the beginning I worried that I would miss my family, that I would miss my friends, that I would go entire seasons (yes it pains me that it’s plural) watching my Dawgs NOT from the comfort of Sanford Stadium #gloryglory, that I would start to forget how much I love the humid air….Oh wait, not that last one. But the struggle was real.

Now, although those same worries still exist, there are much more significant life events that I loathe not being a part of. I hated not seeing little baby Sam until he was nearly six months old, I hated missing my dad’s retirement party, countless weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, Christmases, more time with Grandma, two of my favorite friends each having little girls of their own, and the list could go on.

But every morning I wake up in paradise thanking God that I had the courage to give the unknown a try.  I was real lucky when I moved here having never been to Tahoe, or out West at all for that matter. Tahoe couldn't have been a more pleasant surprise. I spend weekends at the beach or snowboarding, both within minutes of my house. After work I can load up the car and go paddle board for a few hours before the sun goes down. I can hike or ride my bike to the top of a mountain for unparalleled views of this beautiful world we live in. I am experiencing things that five years ago I would have never thought were possible - like weekend trips to San Francisco, Napa, or Yosemite National Park.

But I have figured out real fast that more important than the things that I do or the places that I go are the people that I do or go with. I have been so blessed to have made a framily* here. Each time I miss an event at home I am reminded of the love I have been shown by my Tahoe framily, a love that I would have never known if I failed to get in that car on January 2, 2011. 

I guess it’s really all about the give and take - sacrificing some important things for other different, but equally as important, things. So when I start to feel disconnected to my home and those very special people there I thank my lucky stars for Instagram, iPhones, email, and airplanes.

*friends+family