Aches and Pains of A Dream Coming True

It seems that the process of making a dream come true comes with its share of aches and pains. A sharp shooting pain that starts behind my right shoulder blade and crawls up behind my ear to be precise. This week has been all about securing the mortgage. I am already pre-approved, but I didn't realize that that was just the beginning of the job. I've spent the week scrambling to collect a virtual stack of documents. W-2s, bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, etc. Feels like a lot of phone calls and chasing people down for information and help. And the urgent stressy feeling shows up right in that spot in my back and neck.

I am doing my best. Tackling one job at a time. Taking deep breaths. Eating healthy meals. I wish I could say that my yoga practice is so advanced that I can stay grounded and calm through all this. But then I wouldn't be human. Just like I tell my yoga students, the goal is not to avoid the upset, the goal is just to keep coming back to the breath, back to one's center.

Vision Board 12/31/14

And then there's the opportunity to zoom out and find gratitude. Which is easy, because I have a tremendous amount to be grateful for. Check this out... it's a Vision Board that I created on New Year's Eve this year. And just eight months later I will be closing on a house that has a really uncanny resemblance to the home I dreamed up that night. The number of rooms, the rose bushes, the porch and fireplace, it's all there. I literally wrote this chapter in my story. I set the intention and here we are, getting nearer and nearer to making it a daily reality. Of course, I didn't do it alone, there were many people and events that lined up to get us to this point. But it starts with a dream.

Now that I've taken a nap and an Advil and the stress pain is leaving my body, I'm ready to take on a new mantra for this ride: TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

Insurance and Sharing the New Home High

Today I started the process of calling around to get quotes on Homeowner's Insurance. My mortgage broker sent me an itemized description of my monthly mortgage payment. It includes a pay-in to an escrow account for funds for my homeowners insurance. I learned today that it's possible to find a policy with a monthly premium that is actuality lower (or higher) than the projected amount. Obviously that would impact the monthly mortgage payment, so it's good to shop around. 

First place I called was the agency where I have my auto insurance, just to start somewhere and get a quote. I spent about a half hour with Heather, a sweet young woman who shared that she is ALSO in the process of purchasing her first home. Heather is one of those precious people who makes calling in to an insurance agency actually enjoyable. She has a sweet way of talking, a genuine smile in her voice, and a patient way of responding to a question of any size. 

We chatted about the home buying adventure here and there during our call. We agreed that the roller coaster of a first time home purchase is really something special! There are not many moments in a lifetime that feel quite like this. There are incredible highs and lows, sometimes in the very same day. The feeling of supreme pressure and stress, but not the kind that makes you feel heavy and pained. This stress has you buzzing with excitement, like being full of electricity. This is a transition, there's a touch of concern for "can I pull this off?", a bit of grief for leaving behind the flexibility and transience of renting. But then there's the feeling of anticipation, the sensation of roots making their way into the earth from the souls of your feet. There's a "bigness" to this: I had a dream and I'm creating it as reality." Yeah, this feeling is one-of-a-kind. Wish you could bottle this moment!