I did something spontaneous

actually I did two spontaneous things

After being a real homebody for the last 6/7 months, I did something spontaneous and it makes me feel a little bit giddy. This act feels like a slow return to Naomi. The girl who loves adventure and not having every month of the year, let alone next 5 years, planned out. The girl who lives to travel and will spend her last dollars to make a trip happen. The Naomi who doesn’t sit around and wait for life to happen but jumps in with both feet.

I may have alluded to this in past newsletters that I have been going through the most difficult period of my life. For brevity’s sake and the fact that I don’t have the energy to try and put all the words together in this post, in summary halfway through 2024 I walked out on my marriage and relationship of over 12 years (cue: Pluto in Capricorn hitting me square in the face). And when I say walked out, I really did walk out with an overnight bag and not a lot of places to go. On Maui, which had a housing crisis before the fires, many of us are used to living in small places and most of my friends do not have a spare bedroom to offer up. Sleeping on the couch in your friend’s ohana for a couple of days is fine but, like fish, after 5 days you start to stink and it’s time to go.

It took me MONTHS to find a place to rent that would allow dogs, wasn’t outrageously overpriced (thanks a lot FEMA), and the landlord wasn’t a lunatic (I have literally seen places for rent for $1500 where the “kitchen” is in the same room as your toilet).

When I did find a place that felt good and the landlord, bless her heart, loves dogs I was very relieved but it cost me heavily to move into my new home. For months I culled my budget down to only the necessities rent, food, and utilities. Was that tough? Sure as this was a lifestyle change that I would not have chosen for myself. Was it also oddly rewarding? Yes - as I did it on my own (plus the help of my sweet mom one month).

Good thing I love my new home as I have been spending a lot of time in it. I have become a part-time hermit as my social capacity these days is at an all-time low. I do enjoy my time to myself which I can quickly fill up with writing, coaching and my various projects. I have also been very careful about my spending and budgeting.

So when last week I booked a trip for this week, I could hardly believe that I actually pulled the trigger on something so spontaneous. There was one small window that I could make this trip work and a dear friend waiting to host me. Thanks to my careful budgeting, I also have the money to pay for the trip and rent this month ;)

Booking this trip feels a little bit more of “normal life for Naomi.” It also marks a milestone in this new phase of life. I can live on Maui solo and still travel. I can budget, save, and still have room for spontaneity. Doing it on my own doesn’t feel as scary as it did a few months ago. It’s almost starting to feel good.

On this spontaneity roll (or more accurately in desperate need of a haircut) I booked a hair appointment with a male hairdresser I had never gone to and did zero research about, on a Friday for the following day Saturday. I had a moment of panic when I sat in the hairdresser chair wondering if I had made too rash of a decision and that I probably should have looked (at minimum) reviews of this guy before dropping some dough on this do (haircut plus highlights)….but fortunately he did a good job. Now I have a fresh haircut for my trip into the frigid cold.

Colorado here I come!

Cheers to more spontaneity & adventures ahead