Faced with Reality

I can’t begin to count the number of times I have moved from place to place. Well, actually I could. It all occurred when I graduated high school, moving to campus  and then back home—three times, until I got my own apartment, but let’s not forget the two times that I moved to Washington D.C. for the summer. With this transition, I have officially moved 10 times in the past five years. I think for most college students and recent graduates, this is fairly common. The only tricky part is having to list the address, dates you lived there and someone you knew well enough that can verify your existence for each one on a federal background check.

Coincidently, the one thing that the moves have all had in common is that their lengths didn’t last long. Even here in Minot, my stay is only a year and a half.

Personally, I think I made the best decision I could have possibly made for myself, career wise, by choosing to come up here. Granted,  I’ve had these false pretenses in my head that winter really isn’t that bad up here and that the weather couldn’t possibly reach negative 40 degrees with 40 mph winds and snow everywhere, but I am starting to let that idea go, and fast!

I’ve only been here two months and I’ve learn, experienced and seen so many things that I do not believe I would have been given the opportunity to do so elsewhere.  

Although my time here is rather short and I do cling to knowing I have an end date.

The one thing I often forget, which comes back and hits me like a long lost memory is that I am still here for over a year.

I left absolutely everything behind: my family, Duane, even my cat. Of course when starting a new job you have to face all of those obstacles, but I set myself up to face them and a new direction in life all alone.

I am so used to “moving” somewhere for a temporary stay. Such as moving to school for the semester or to D.C. for the summer, but when the three or four months are over, I move back home. As I am approaching the three and four month marker here, I am finding myself not finding an end.

Strangely, I cannot say that I am homesick. I believe that it was time for me to move away and live out the dream that I’ve always wanted for myself. But, I do find myself wondering how overnight I went from being an hour and a half to 18 hours away without seriously questioning anything.

Some days are better than others. But then I get a sudden reality check and realize that my college days are behind me and there is no more “moving back.” My real life has begun.