Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes...

Have you ever wished for a big life change, a move to a new town with a new job, new friends, etc.? First of all I am not talking about me and right now. I am very happy and finally feel settled in my life, and happy with my choices. I am just remembering what it was like when I took a risk, albeit a pretty safe one, and moved with my 11-year-old to La Pine 8 years ago. My mom provided us with a little cabin in which to live, and OSU Cascades was just opening up so that I could finish my degree. The government gave me student loans. The middle school in La Pine looked inviting to my son. We came for a weekend visit, and made a quick decision to move over here. Within two weeks, we were settling in and Nigel began school. It was a good move, that is for sure; I met wonderful friends, finished school, met my best friend husband, and the rest is history.

Sometimes moves are planned out, sometimes they are forced, sometimes you just know in your heart that it is the right thing to do. Sometimes things happen to help with your decision; a serendipity of combined forces, or as I thought of it, a perfect storm (in a good way). It involves faith that things will work out fine, and risk in trusting that God and others will help and support you.

I found that in the end it gave me a lot of confidence, and though I just moved 2 1/2 hours away from my hometown and away from my beloved McKenzie River, I felt brave. I ended up learning that a change in latitude can help your attitude, with or without rum, and definitely without valley rain.

CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES
Jimmy Buffett

I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year.
All of the faces and all of the places,
wonderin' where they all disappeared.
I didn't ponder the question too long;
I was hungrey and went out for a bite.
Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum,
and we wound up drinkin' all night.

It's those changes in latitudes,
changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.
With all of our running and all of our cunning,
If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes;
Nothing remains quite the same.
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,
If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

Reading departure signs in some big airport
Reminds me of the places I've been.
Visions of good times that brought
so much pleasue
makes me want to go back again.
If it suddenly ended tomarrow,
I could somehow adjust to the fall.
Good times and riches and son of a bitches,
I've seen more than I can recall...(to chorus)

I think about Paris when I'm high on red wine;
I wish I could jump on a plane.
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean.
God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Oh, yesturdays are over my shoulder,
So I can't look back for too long.
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me,
and I know that I just can't go wrong
with these...(to chorus)