4:57pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023. Came back to Orange County and checked my home mailbox. My renewed driver license/real Id was there. That made me happy for a number of reasons: 1. I have a valid license again 2. I got the Real ID taken care of so I can use it to fly in the future and 3. Personal mail arrived at the home address which saves me a trip to the post office to verify. Now I am sitting on the couch with the dog and contemplating a run to the store with my daughter.

6:13pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday night, March 30, 2023. I left work early this afternoon but, I didn’t head to Orange County. I came back to the hotel instead. Watched a little television, took a nap and did some reading. Work got busy in the afternoon but, I didn’t mind. It was nice just being out of the office for a change. Now I am watching opening day baseball and eating dinner. I will head west tomorrow and spend the weekend with my daughter.

6:37pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday night, March 29, 2023. My daughter’s mom had her purse stolen last night. She ran inside a friend’s house to drop off a gift and inadvertently left the car unlocked. When she returned, the purse, with her wallet inside, was gone. She quickly cancelled her cards but the thieves managed to place an online order with her debit card. She is confident the money will be recouped but, that doesn’t make up for lost items or time. Nor does it address the upsetting consequences of her personal safety being violated. The world is a disappointing place sometimes. Her friend lives in a safe neighborhood. It was still light outside and she wasn’t gone long. Hard to believe such an unfortunate event could happen so quickly under those circumstances. A good reminder to always be vigilant. You never know when nefarious folk are around.

6:34pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, March 28, 2023. Thought about Arizona a lot today. Specifically, lamenting the loss of the drive east, my apartment, going for walks, working out, shopping at the local grocery store and watching movies on my couch. It had to end and I am better off in Orange County but, the finality of absolute loss causes me distress. Arizona is gone forever and I should let it go. Life is about moments in time. If you are lucky, you have a few good ones. Then, when all is said and done, you cherish what you had and grieve what you lost until the next moment comes around.

6:36pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday night, March 27, 2023. Busy day. A nurse called out sick, the nurse manager was gone and the phones rang non-stop. Right now, everyone is on edge. On a positive note: we won the company contest for most growth last week. That means staff will enter their names in a raffle. One staff member will get to stay two nights in a hotel in a California city of their choice. The marketing team will also bring lunch to celebrate. Hopefully, things settle down after that. I feel keyed up. And if I am stressed I am neither intuitive nor empathetic to the needs of the team. It is not good to be selfish when others need support.

6:02pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Sunday night, March 26, 2023. Came up with a new morning routine this weekend. Wake up around 5am and go for a walk in Dana Point. Finish at 6:30am, then grab a cup of coffee and wait for the gym to open. Since I already walked, my workout is less than 30 minutes long. That means I am done by 7:30am. After that, I have the day to run errands and spend time with my daughter. Finding a good routine has lessened my anxiety. It has only been two weeks but, I miss Arizona. A part of me still can’t believe it is over and I won’t be back. I know change is for the best but, losing something cherished is never easy.

10:39pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Dana Point, California, USA, Friday night, March 24, 2023. A different energy exists when the score is being counted. Caring about a goal, focusing on specific targets, having singular vision rounds down the edges of distraction. It is to a point where making this branch successful is my sole objective for the year. We have the opportunity to achieve something special. Namely, go from worst to first in the region. This circumstance rarely occurs. And if I encountered it before I lacked the temerity to see it through. Now, the stars are aligned. I am personally and professionally committed to the cause. Time to once and for all see what can be accomplished.

6:41pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday night, March 23, 2023. Things were a little better today. Not as stressful. After my last meeting ended I felt relaxed. The weather was sunny and cool so I got out, grabbed lunch, ran a quick errand then finished up some work at the office. Now, I am back at the hotel. The room next me is occupied tonight. They are kind of loud and the soundproofing isn’t real strong. Might make for a restless evening. Oh well, I can usually sleep through anything and tomorrow I get to go home. If I can’t sleep tonight I will read a book then take a nap tomorrow afternoon.

7:48pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday night, March 22, 2023. The long week continues. Admissions, meetings and reports constantly demand attention. I can’t keep my head straight and am finding it difficult to relax. Tomorrow is more of the same. Then it is finally Friday. I am ready for the weekend. My daughter’s friend has felt run down the last couple days. Which limits going out and having sleep overs. I told my daughter’s mom that is probably a good thing, at least for one weekend. I think we all need to have some quiet time.

6:20pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Tuesday night, March 21, 2023. A friend asked me this evening how my day went. I told her it went well except, the branch is busy. And that by being busy we are dealing with “success stress.” Success stress is the added pressure that comes with more commitment, more work and higher expectations. She thought it was a fun term to use and said she would remember it in the future. I am glad she found worth remembering. At some point we all deal with success stress. When that happens it is good to remember how hard you worked to get where you wanted to be. With success, don’t focus on the negative added work. Push past the stress and be thankful for the heights you have worked so hard to achieve.