Sweet/Home

Andy and I are planning a trip to Chicago with Ariana for this coming weekend and are very excited to see all of our Chi-town friends and for Ari to get to hang out with her buddy, Lily, who is almost exactly one year older than Ariana. Even though they are miles apart and hardly get to spend time together, they still have this strangely strong bond... it's like they knew they were friends before they even met.

Although this move has been difficult and it is sometimes lonely or stressful to be down here in the midst of so much transition and change (as if we are en route to the next stage... though even that becomes a stage of its own), it has afforded us some incredible learning opportunities. I think we've both grown tremendously and - although we would both probably say we're not quite at our destination yet - we have a better sense of who we wish to be.

It's a hard thing to feel lost. Not so unusual... but potentially very painful and sad. When it connects to your career, your home, your lifestyle, your values, etc. - it can be even stronger.

I have faith direction will be found... or at least that we will find a greater sense of purpose and balance within the unknowing that is the unavoidable chaos of life. We suspect the answer ultimately lies within, rather than without (an internal rather than external issue). So it will be interesting to see how those inner rumblings continue to shift and change as we alter our location in the coming days.

Whatever the result, it will be nice to see those we miss, and great to reintroduce Ari to the city where her mother and father first met.

Argh... the class won!

So I forgot to blog last night. Just completely forgot in the midst of doing assignments for the summer class I'm taking right now.

It's a very intense course, and I'm not sure I was really ready to take it given all that happened at the end of the semester and all that is coming up this summer. But it's been a great learning experience, and I feel it's revealed certain things to me about myself that merit change and growth.

So although I'm sad I've started losing track of things like laundry and blogging and shopping and keeping in touch with folks... I'm very grateful for the ways in which it will improve me professionally and personally.

But I will be glad when it's over, and even happier when I've turned in my final two papers.