I am finally settling in Idaho, yet that process is taking longer than I expected. A lot of people say, ‘unpacking is so much easier than packing,’ although I find it to be the opposite, namely because I am super organized and cannot stand chaos/clutter. Now, I am not saying that I am clutter-free, as living that way is very hard when you run a business or two, but I definitely need everything in its rightful place for daily systematic use. Not being able to find something drives me crazy.
This will be the last post in this series before I re-enter reality, and I just wanted to touch on the changes I have already noticed in my new life. On top of that, someone wrote me that they were enjoying my non-shoe-related posts and encouraged me to do more of this style of posting. I actually think it is a great idea, as I have already written nearly everything there is about shoes and would love to just splash ideas onto the computer that are completely different to what I am used to writing. If you have topics or questions, let me know.
Admittedly, I have been going a lot slower than planned with regards to my unpacking/organizing. The last 6-8 months of my life have been so chaotic with the move that I felt that I needed to not have a mental overload by trying to settle in within one week. The fine line is being able to continue to run my business while not falling behind on orders, communication, and the details that go along with moving across States.
The old me would have been stressed to get everything done in the shortest amount of time. The new me wants to stop stressing, enjoy time with family, get to know my new area, relax, eat dinner outside (i.e., in the backyard), have a conversation with my wife, play with my son, etc. So I have intentionally been stopping in the early evenings instead of going mad trying to work as much as possible until 12 a.m.- 1 a.m., as I was so used to in New Jersey.
Time feels like it moves more slowly here. Days used to fly by on the East Coast. I would work until late at night and feel like I got nothing done. Now, I don’t feel like that at all. The days move slowly. I feel like I have more time. It is a great feeling. And while time has not changed, I feel like the lack of stress has altered the perception of it. This is something that I greatly appreciate, as time is that one luxury you cannot buy back.
Finding ways to wear my nice shoes will definitely take some effort out here. Being more rural, you come across more natural terrain, which is not always ideal for butterfly loafers and saddle oxfords with leather soles. I have been living in sneakers for the last 3-4 weeks or so and am getting quite tired of it. I think today, I will break out some leather-soled shoes. Admittedly, I will probably be walking on gravel later tonight, so I will be heavily testing the quality of those soles.
If I don’t push myself to dress up here, I won’t be wearing 90% of my wardrobe. It will surely be different, but I always accept a good challenge!
What I am actually excited for is when I have my new office set up and can get back to making videos/content. One thing that excites me is that I feel like I will definitely have more time for that, and that is what I am looking forward to. I always felt in a crazy rush in NJ and that I would just slap stuff together. Here, I want to take my time with it and rebuild The Shoe Snob Blog into the content powerhouse it should be. Stay tuned for that.
Well, this is the last post in this reflection series about my new life. I hope that you enjoyed it, and I always thank everyone for their participation and support.
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
Shop · Marketplace · Patreon
Best of luck in your new setting!
Thank you Reggie!
Justin, my daughter lived in Idaho for four years. and her Mother and I visited regularly. My idea for you is to help folks figure out how to look good in the local environment. You will not wear East Coast clothes, that is for sure. But you need not look like you just wrassled a steer, or dug a potato. I believe there is a style journey to undertake. Try various approaches, including foot wear, of course, to looking good without being out of place. This is a tall order, but there are folks who care out there. Medical, legal, financial and educational professionals all need something a cut above changing the tire on the tractor. The younger ones need guidance. Just one man’s opinion.
I just got my first pair of Merrells for hiking/outdoor activities. Never thought I would buy those lol – But they are their coolest pair. I still dress fairly the same, just less so as I am often walking in grass and gravel. Today I wore teal suede loafers 😉 Had to get them in before Sumemr ended. But yes, I will definintely go on a style journey and my nice clothes will see less body time then before.
Congrats on completing the move. Stress is the devil. About future post; what do you think about using AI to help buyers navigate brand/last/sizing while shopping online. I went down that rabbit hole one night and I was impressed with the available information. I gave it my foot length, width, arch and circumference and it told me which brands and last would best work for me and why. Have you ever inquired on this topic and what do you think about investigating and posting your thoughts?
Thanks for sharing Arthur and for the suggestion. I appreciate it! That is an interesting topic, I should test it out and see how it advises me 😉