+this is real long distance, a real long distance call

Current location? Outside the Kansas Union. Hanging out on Jayhawk Blvd. on a lovely Summer evening. I am quite happy with my sweet little apartment. I have now officially met my staff and have been enjoying their company for the evening.

But man, I never knew leaving Nashville would be so difficult on me. I've left countless times before - trips, vacations, you name it. But this time was different. As my closest friends all sat around a table at one of our favorite places to eat in Nashville and talked and laughed, a large pit in my stomach formed. I knew that in a matter of moments someone would say we needed to go, and indeed, we did. I still had 10 more hours to drive and they all had their respective places to go and lives to live.

As I realized that the goodbyes were beginning, My body began to shake and reject it. I just couldn't get over the fact that for the first time in my life I was leaving a place and people that I truly did not want to leave. You would think this was how going off to college was for me, but it definitely was not. When I went off to college it was the climax of  my then-life. I dived in without looking or thinking or, sometimes, I feel like without breathing.

So I got in the car and sobbed myself onto I-440 and I-40 and finally to I-24, westbound. My poor mom had to listen to it and graciously offered to drive more than one time. And I would sit up taller and say I was okay, and then I would sink back onto my steering wheel and know that I was not.

And then I realized the adventure I was embarking on and vowed to not allow myself to be blind to it. So I was good! I was excited! I was putting more and more miles between my emotions and me. But low and behold, bodies are made to deal with things aren't they? So, like I was breaking up with Nashville, I had bouts of feeling excited and bouts of breaking down.

The next morning I awoke excited to finally drive the remaining hours to get to my new home in a new city and meet new people. A shower and a hot breakfast and a lot of prayer and I was driving again. This time, onto the campus of my new work and classes.

And the rest is history. This week is flying by and the more I learn the more I love. More to update. Just know that the next 18 days of training I'm sure will take me on a roller coaster of growth ... and THEN I start classes... :)