It’s important to me that other people are able to see themselves in what I’m doing, and that they share their own experiences on the blog. I like the feeling that we’re on a shared journey.

When people look at me funny when I say I love Jackson, I rattle of a list of the things unique to this city: a culture of collaboration, low cost of living that allows you more relaxation, a healthy pace, etc. Things that I’ve wanted for so long, like the ones described in the post, are finally happening here. It’s almost magical. There’s so much potential to make an impact here, whereas in San Francisco I often felt as if I was reinventing the wheel.

YES, at some point we need to stop planning and dreaming of “someday,” and just start living the lives we love. The Buddhists are right: nothing exists besides this moment. Not the past, not the future, just *right now*. Look forward to hearing more about your own adventures!

One of the things that I like so much about this post, and about all your posts since you relocated to Jackson, is how darn happy you seem to be where you are.

Mississippi is not without its problems – believe me – and locals tend to fixate on those. Jackson, in particular, seems to have image issues. I love the way you’re enjoying and celebrating your new locale – you seem eager to learn and open to traditions and ways of thinking that maybe aren’t so familiar.

Secondly, I enjoy reading about your quest – what you’re wanting to do and the steps you’re taking to make it happen. The tone of your posts suggest that are very happy and content and so often I think when people feel that way and try to convey it, they come across as smug and/or critical (“I’m living this way and am happy so why aren’t you? Oh, I know why; because I’m better than you, that’s why.”) yet your writing doesn’t alienate. Instead, I really respond to it as I’m on a journey myself (aren’t we all) and am finding myself happier and more content now than I’ve ever been.

It took realizing that if I want to live the life I’ve always wanted, I need to simply live the life I’ve always wanted. PROFOUND, I know.

I think I’ve gotten off track…Anyway, thanks for reminding me that there are a lot of great things about where I live and thanks for posts showing how you’re doing what you want to do.

Exactly, Gill, Reschool Yourself is more of an ongoing lifestyle than a finite project. What’s cool is that a lot of the hopes I’ve had (e.g. “I’d love to learn to garden someday”) are effortlessly happening here in Jackson. There’s just a lot of cool stuff going on here.

Whenever I rebound from a mini freak-out, this expression comes to mind: “The master is not one who never falls, but one who never fails to pick herself up again.”

Try not to worry about having freakouts every now and then. We all have them, no matter how “stable” our lives are. What matters is you’re rebounding and not getting paralyzed by your stress. I’m trying to do the same– Brian’s been good about talking me through my breakdowns and helping me figure out what manageable tasks I can do each day.