Moving

In 5 weeks my husband and I will be packing up all our possessions... again... and moving across the States... again...

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Two years ago we were living in the town we grew up in. A single town to call home is a dream for some, whose families are spread far from each other. We never have to argue about who we will spend what holiday with. We simply do 2 meals in one day and make the 5 minute car ride midday. It's wonderfully safe there. It's beautiful in the spring and autumn. I never really wanted for anything activity-wise. And we were likely to end up buying a home there once we had enough money put away.

But then there was this burst of adventure. I don't know where it came from because really I'm a very tame person when it comes to unknowns. I don't like them. I scare easily. But with a growing desire to experience a new place and a safety net of John's extended family, we packed up our belongings, said goodbye to the people we held dearest, and drove out to Berkeley/Oakland, CA. (We live only footsteps from Oakland, and people have wildly different ideas between these 2 places. Merge those and you will have our neighborhood.)

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Culture shock was a good thing. You would not believe how frightened I was of the panhandlers when I first moved here. I thought they would jump me if I didn't give them money. Here's a lesson for all those sheltered out there, as I was: Panhandlers are not thieves. And I have not been mugged.

The weather here is phenomenal. I can hardly believe a place like this exists. You can pretty much wear whatever you want whenever you want. Add a scarf or light jacket when cold. For this reason, I'm pretty shocked that Oakland still exists in the disarray it is in; as in the rich and famous haven't tried to take over. But gentrification is slowly crawling in and that means if you are not in tech or engineering, you will not be able to afford to live here in 10 years.

Long story short (for today at least) John has been accepted to seminary in Louisville, KY. In 5 weeks we will begin a new chapter of adventure with a smaller safety net. We will likely struggle with loneliness and fear. But I remain hopeful that this is where we are supposed to go. It was not an easy process. There were personal things that literally got in our way and we were frightened that we would be rejected because of misinformation or varying opinions. It was hard and emotional and frustrating and heart breaking and yet, it happened. What looked impossible became possible. We are in awe and grateful and we are leaving here trusting that God has ordained it. I will just need to remind myself of this along the way.

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When I think about the move, my heart races in a good way (races like the derby??? eh? zing!). I'm longing for a place to put down roots and have a home. I don't know yet if Louisville is that for us, but it is a step closer to that place.