Returning Home….
A few nights ago before I left Atlanta, I stopped by to see 2 of my best friends, Dorie and Drew Downs, to say goodbye. This picture is of their daughter, Nicole, walking over to toast my departure with her baby milk bottle. How cute is this kid?!
I think the hardest part of leaving a place is saying goodbye to the people you love, and with that, saying goodbye to the familiar. I am not one who thrives on change. In fact, change is torturous to me. I am the type to order the same thing at a restaurant each time; I go to the same shower stall at the gym; I sit in the same seat in a classroom week after week; I run the same route whenever I can, etc. I like routine and structure… and I have always done my best work when a routine of consistency, coupled with emotional support, was in place.
However, prior to this summer, I (and my closest friends) started to notice (or rather, finally mention) the distinct erosion of my spirit. I just wasn’t myself anymore. I had my same routines, my same patterns …and ultimately, my same results – which were not particularly good ones. It took a few years, but for a series of reasons, the fire to my spirit was finally barely a flicker. I knew I needed to do something drastic to try to jump-start something. Sometimes we need to take charge of our lives when the “routine” is no longer productive to our souls.
I am not the type to be passive, or be a victim… it was time to take my own life by the jugular. 
There had to be (has to be?) better than just existing, feeling monotone, just going through the motions each day.
I know there is more – I have been this person before.
So …. a summer in Boulder. Why not? And despite the challenges that come with any new surroundings, I believe it was good for my spirit. The friends I made here are sublime, and there is something very welcoming about Boulder. Everyone loves it here. There is something to be said for that. My friend Dana commented that by summer’s end, “my step seemed lighter” when talking to me.
And then, the end of summer. What now?, I asked myself. I felt as though a snowball had been set into motion and I wanted to let it continue to build momentum as opposed to putting a brick wall in its place. I decided to commit to Boulder for a year. A summer wasn’t enough to elicit true change, I thought.
So – back to Boulder I have come… searching for the change(s) that can only come with the experience of something NEW. I’ll try and document the year journey as best I can … and in doing so will hopefully inspire those in need of their own “jump start” to give courage a try. Only in being courageous enough to take risks can we become better than we are.
There is only ONE thing I know for certain (I used to know more than this but have since learned I know less than I ever thought): if we stay the same, we stay the same…
Profound, huh?
“We cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
- Muriel Chen
Cheers to 2009!
