So the Lens has been going for 6 months now, how’s it working out for you peeps? Hopefully it’s a bit of an interesting read that adds some variety to my other blog posts. I certainly enjoy writing them and giving a little bit more of “myself” over to you all.
This month has been a hectic month and is culminating this week with a big house move. That’s right, Mrs Cambule and I have found what is hopefully going to be our “forever home” and this weekend is the big transition.
Moving house can be a very stressful time and certainly this process has had a fair share of ups and downs. I imagine that if you have ever been through the process yourself, you will have your own stories to tell about the challenges and pitfalls from organising moving firms to redirecting your mail to cutting the grass one last time before it becomes somebody else’s problem!
I have written previously about the importance of taking time to deal with your stress levels and I think it can be difficult to do when going through a major life change like this. Relocating your home, packing all of your belongings, saying goodbye to neighbours and friends…there are many triggers and sources of emotional upheaval at this time. You need to make sure that there is some respite amongst all the chaos of shifting furniture and paying bills (this is something I will be encouraging for us and our family this weekend).
Moving house is also a project in its own right! Did you think I wouldn’t mention that?
I recall during my early training in programme and project management one of the planning exercise we did was about planning to move home and it’s true, it can be a very complex change to manage. So many stakeholders (such as builders and suppliers), so many changes (from address changes to alternative routes to get to work), so many risks (from important parcels not being delivered on time to the whole deal potentially falling through at the last minute…my own worst nightmare). I do not feel ashamed to admit that I have used my extensive planning knowledge and experience in helping to get this move under control.
There are certainly many lessons one can learn from going through a house move. This will be my fourth house move and there are a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way. The most important lesson I have learned (and I think it applies to any major life change) is that you cannot do it alone. You need friends, family, service providers, builders, suppliers…so many people play a part in change and you need to build good relationships with these people to get the job done.
One of the things I will find hardest about leaving our old house is the stories we have made there. On our first date, I picked up the then-future Mrs Cambule from that front door and the rest – as they say – was history. We have had so many adventures, so much emotion, so many memories under that roof that it will be hard to say goodbye.
But fear not, there is excitement ahead in the shape of new adventures, emotions and memories to be made. Moving home certainly has the potential for tremendous positivity, the prospects of new beginnings and the great green countryside that is the future laid out ahead of us.
That’s why I continue with the Lens and with my blogging. One day, I will look back on all of this and remember those moments when the countryside looked so bold and inspiring, to think about how the journey had unfolded and be grateful for all of the people and all of the love that I was gifted along the way. This is not about changing an address, this is about the first steps of a new journey and I can’t wait to get started.