Elise's New Life

This year I’ve discovered that they’re not kidding when they put moving in the list of the top 3-5 most impactful changes in life. Getting us and all our stuff across the country was a major undertaking, to say nothing of trying to put together a new home and get to know all new people and places. I will forever look differently (hopefully more sensitively) at people who have just moved.

That said, probably the biggest change for me has been shifting from sharing home and work with Chad to spending most of my time at home with Gavin and Arwen and becoming the “expert” at their care. It’s been fabulous having the flexibility to be with them and to shift what we’re doing at a moment’s notice. I also have enjoyed more time to just play and work together.

Having more time at home and with the kids has made it far easier for me to form relationships in our neighborhood and even with people we meet out and about in the area. Whether through a playgroup I formed with another new Connecticut College faculty member, trips down the street to the bus stop, or pursuing relationships with people we’ve met here or there, we’ve really gotten to know a lot of people in a short time, which has been great.

My job as Relief Society president (see Church Community) has provided some interesting projects and challenges as well as the opportunity to get to know lots of new people very quickly. It’s great to be able to make such a significant investment in my community so soon after arriving here.

I enjoy keeping up with professional contacts and the news surrounding my professional interests and participated in a Families and Work Institute Corporate Leadership Circle event in New York City earlier this month. With the end of the holidays in sight, I’m looking forward to refining plans for my next professional project (likely a book!).