the struggle.

Today - for the challenge - I'm going to talk about something I bet every who has moved away from their hometown has dealt with. Of course, there are those badasses out there who listen to their call to adventure, who can still feel connected even when they're thousands of miles from that place they for so long called home. You may have already guessed this, but I am not one of those people.

 

While Justin was in PA school, we talked about moving away from our hometown, to get out & see more of the country. To have an adventure. To go make a new place our own.

 

And when he did his preceptorship, which is basically a three-month internship at the end of PA school, he went twelve hours away to Greenville, South Carolina. I went & visited twice, & we fell in love with that little city & its picturesque downtown. In those summer days spent seeing patients, playing golf, & exploring a new state, we both fell in love with the idea of living in the Carolinas, he from up-close, myself from far-away & by proxy.

 

Needless to say, in the space of time after PA school graduation & now, we got engaged, moved to North Carolina, got married, & settled into Wilmington. And I love Wilmington. I love its beaches, I love its beauty, & I love it's riverfront downtown, with restaurants and ice cream right there on the water. I love being in a different place, forging my own way, & relying on Justin for partnership & companionship.

 

But, it's hard to be so far removed from our families, from our friends, & from familiarity.

 

So, I guess that's what I'm struggling with lately: just the duality of loving Wilmington & feeling so safe & secure in Shreveport, surrounded by people who love us. The duality of adventure, excitement, newness, in stark contrast to familiarity, comfort, & normalcy. During my last trip to Shreveport, which I am just now arriving home to Wilmington from today, this struggle was really brought to the forefront of my mind.

 

But, I am excited to see what the future holds for us in Wilmington. There is still so much to be explored, so many people to meet, & so many things to get involved in. And I'm glad that Justin will be alongside me throughout it all, experiencing it at the same time. To me, that is the ultimate comfort.