While I love and miss Bloomington and so many people in it, there is no doubt that our decision to move was the best decision for our family. We have been very fortunate to land in a community (Portage/Kalamazoo) that is vibrant, found schools where our children can thrive, and remain close enough to see family and friends on a regular basis.

Our home requires us to embrace winter!

In this age of instant communication, remaining connected to my larger network is still amazingly easy. I’ve come to realize that people who some would only regard as HR colleagues or associates are truly my friends and a constant source of support. While that network has not grown in a local way as much as I wish, being able to reach out to friends in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia, California, and many other states gives me stability that others may not have.

Yet, there is still a feeling that there is more to be had by moving forward. It’s the pull of the unknown and the desire to add to my own life experience. My relentlessly positive outlook, while challenged at times, still tells me that moving forward is not only inevitable, but the best way to go.

Of course, there are limits to what can be done by any one person at any one time and part of progress involves letting go of the old in order to grasp the new. This recent trip to my old home, more so than others I’ve taken, has inspired me to examine what must go so that I can move ahead to the amazing things that await in the months and years ahead.

Several concrete steps are in process now. First, my home office, which I allowed to become a room to collect junk, has been rehabbed and is again a functional space. This post is being written while I enjoy being surrounded by the things that have molded me in my professional career.

Second, on a more personal note, is the execution of the kitchen remodel my wife and I have talked about since we moved to Michigan some two and a half years ago. Our cabinets are on order and a large check was written to get the process going.  We are both excited about this and look forward to modernizing the one area of our house that needs it desperately.

There will certainly be more change and growth to come and I look forward to the future and the promise it brings!

Let’s go!

I am typing this as I return from a glorious weekend in Maine. Well, glorious with the exception of the weather!! During this trip, I received the piece of paper that signifies that I’ve completed my MBA during graduation ceremonies at St Joseph’s College of Maine. It was fun to come East and celebrate the last 3 years of work. It was especially gratifying to meet in person some of my classmates that had been in some of the 14 classes that composed the programs. Putting faces with the names I’ve seen in my on-line classrooms was great and comparing our experiences with on-line learning reassured me that the decision to pursue my MBA through this program was the right one.

The ceremony also served as a reminder that there are accomplishments big and small to be celebrated. Some of the graduates yesterday were the first to go to college in their family. Others were receiving a third Master’s degree. All were there to celebrate and embrace learning. Every experience we have can lead to learning something new. Even the smallest piece of knowledge can impact you in ways that are not necessarily known in the moment. Go ahead, think back over your day and give some thought to some small nugget of information you hadn’t known or thought about before. Perhaps it will serve you well in the days ahead!

Well, as I get back in the flow of things here on RollerCoasterHR I hope to post more frequently. In the posts ahead you can look forward to subjects as diverse as real estate, the joys of little ones in flight, and the difficulty in saying goodbye!

A view at my newest alma mater!