Congratulations on the new job! It sounds lovely! Working in an assisted-living facility by a lake will promote such a sense of well-being! You will be doing "good works" in a setting which will promote health. I think you will love it! Congrats on the kitten too! They bring such joy!

It does sound like your mood is high and i find your pattern quite interesting, with the Christmas music being triggering. I also liked Christmas last year for the first time since i was a kid and i'm 53. More early December when my building had a Christmas feast. By late December i was depressed. I'm sitting here wearing a Christmas dress i bought at Walmart yesterday. I don't have anything scheduled today i just wanted to put it on. I don't wear Christmas gear until we're past Remembrance Day (Canada) but that was yesterday so i am free and clear. The dress is super soft with a lively Christmas print on a green background. Green clothes are so hard to find.

Maybe you are uneasy because of the big change ahead re your career. You will be leaving an awful but FAMILIAR situation and that can provoke anxiety. Beware of making more changes. You've had quite a lot of newness with your car, job and kitten. Try and keep everything else the same. You'll adjust in time but don't burden yourself with any additional challenges.

I also feel attracted to the stimulants when my mood gets high. I feel so good i just want to INDULGE and be WILD, WILD, WILD!!! Tho i understand that your mood is also somewhat negative. I somehow find the strength to resist stimulants except for a light rum-and-coke on occasion. Try and resist the stimulants as they will only make your mood more intense.

I stay busy doing healthy things to distract myself. I get involved in causes that i feel passionate about -- but not ones that are provoking like political activism. I also listen to evocative music and scribble the lyrics on my walls. Music is so intense when my mood gets high. I get out in nature with my dog, even it it's just to get out in the yard and take in the wide open sky and the fresh air. You need to be calm for your new job which i am sure will be fabulous!

I so enjoyed hearing from you and hope you will keep us updated with your news! Good things lie ahead, i am sure of it!

Be well my friend!