Before I begin the post proper, I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the warm wishes. I apologize for not responding individually to the many birthday greetings. Between travelling for my new adventure and giving up personal use of FB for Lent, it was hard to respond. I did see each and every one, however, and I appreciate them all immensely.
As I begin my new year on this planet, I am also staring a new adventure! A dear friend pointed out the symmetry. It’s amazing how the timing worked out. New things coinciding: A new year, a new adventure, a new life. I have to admit, I’m having some mixed feelings. I am very excited for all these new beginnings, but I am also a little sad to be leaving friends and family behind once again.
Leaving FL seems to be a little more difficult than leaving typically turns out to be. And considering how many places I have left and how many people I have left behind, that is saying something. Leaving people behind is always tough, but up until now, there has always been some sort of outside force that was affecting my departure.
I realized as I was nearing the end of my previous job, that this is the first time in my life that I am actively choosing to leave, both a place and a location. I’ve either had to leave due to the military assignment or deployment, or in the case of my non-military jobs, there was hurricane Katrina which put me out of Mississippi. That always seemed to make leaving easier
Don’t get me wrong, it is always hard leaving friends behind and I miss each and every one of you. It just seems that when there is some outside event forcing me to move, it’s just something I have to do. However, when I am making the choice to leave, it seems to be harder. Then again, maybe I’m just getting soft in my old age. Ha!
That being said, I am very excited for my new adventure. I’m excited for the new friends I will meet, while working hard to maintain the friendships with those I’ve left. Fortunately, it is much easier to keep in touch now, than it has been in the past. Email, Facebook, this blog (and now the discussion forums) make keeping in touch very easy to do!