The Next Chapter

I'm sitting on our porch swing, typing fast, racing the computer battery before it dies. I see the green hills and the red earth, the birds are splashing in the new bird bath and I'm pretty sure there is a cat or two (or five) napping somewhere nearby. It feels so good to be home.

But of course, the wind whistling over Windswept Farm makes me think of the wicked Mistral, which in turn makes me think of Marseille, and I feel just a little bit sad too.

But it's time to move on. A new chapter has begun. It's off to a nice but slow start. Immediately after I got home, the family and I went up to Richmond for my cousin Jackie's bridal shower. It was lovely but I felt so weird realizing we're now old enough to be getting married. Well, she is. I may be physically older than her but I'm pretty sure her mental/maturity age has always been far above mine.

Since then I've had some time to visit with a few friends and mostly just sit around the house getting hand cramps from filling out too many job applications. I'm simultaneously under- and over-qualified to do almost anything there is to do in this town.

So I've already moved on in my mind. I'm researching apartments, neighborhoods, things to do, theaters, and jobs in big cities as far away as Seattle. My parents aren't thrilled of course but after living in Europe for a year, Franklin County just seems a bit too small. Don't worry. I'll stick around at least long enough to make some money to fund my next adventure (assuming I ever find a job).

And that brings you to me now, sitting on the porch swing, mostly bored but happy to be amongst the familiar. Happy to be home.