A Sentimental Post About Saying Goodbye

Today I am leaving the South Carolina home I have shared with my roommates for the past eight months and temporarily moving back to Illinois with my family, in the hopes of saving up some money before I get married in July. (This also puts me a bit closer to my fiance - we'd only be 5 hours apart instead of 12.)

Once I make a decision, I tend to get antsy about putting it off. If I've decided something, I'd rather just go through with it right away and have it done. So last week I mulled over the idea of moving back in with the family, I decided for sure this past Sunday, and I'm renting a car and leaving today.

I've moved around and traveled a fair amount, switching houses, rooms, states, schools, workplaces, and there's always something simultaneously exciting and sad about moving on and saying goodbye.

Of the pros this time, I get to spend time with my family, be closer to Jacob, save some money, and get away from the bizarre, bizarre interactions I tend to get in the south.

But I will certainly miss a lot of this.

If you live someplace for awhile, you get comfortable there, and even if it's not your favorite place you've ever lived, you can look back on it fondly, even the weird memories.

Like the toilet that appeared to be sinking into the bathroom floor.

Or the dozens and dozens of ladybugs that gathered around my window during the day and disappeared to who knows where at nighttime.

Or the front porch that constantly seemed shaky, and then one of my roommates finally fell through it.

Or the creepy shed where, we joked, Slender Man lived. (Although it seemed like much less of a joke when I was lying on my bed at 3 in the morning and could see the shed through my window, which had no blinds.)

Most of all, though, I will miss my roommates. I moved out to South Carolina with three of them to start with, and then a fourth joined us a few months ago. I have loved living with them and spending time with them and doing all the things we have gotten to do together. They understand my introversion so they don't take it personally when I spend days in my room without speaking to them, but they enjoy my company so when I come out of the room and hang out with them, we have so much fun. Although I'm pretty sure Sarah's the only one who actually reads my blog, I wanted to say thank you for the past several months they've given me.

So thank you to:

Josh S., who I really didn't know all that well when I moved out, but who I discovered is funny, smart, has great taste in pop culture, is a very generous friend, and is someone I can always count on if I need an intellectually stimulating conversation.

Josh H., who serenaded me with his guitar, looked for movies we could watch together, always asked for my opinions (even when I didn't have any to offer) and spent time with me both being silly and being serious. Wherever life takes him, I'm confident it's going to be awesome.

Sarah, who was always willing to go on adventures with me on our days off, watched TV and musicals with me, and was always there to listen and offer suggestions whenever I was going through a rough time... and was perfectly willing to leave me alone, no questions asked, whenever that was what I needed.

Lisa, who suggested this whole crazy arrangement in the first place, and even though our schedules rarely aligned for us to be able to spend time together, when they did, I cherished it, as she poured such love and wisdom into me. I can only hope I was able to do to the same for her.

I truly love you guys. I will see you all at my wedding, if not before, and I look forward to seeing where God directs each of you.

And now... onward.