I felt a yearning to pop back onto this blog and write and write and write. I write often. Little bursts of inspiration. Random thoughts that are swirling around in my head. I mostly use Instagram or Facebook for those daily posts. But it’s been a while since I’ve just sat and rambled like this .

And I CAN.

Because work is done. And school is done (at least until summer quarter starts back up in two weeks). And there are only so many times one can go to the grocery store before things start to get weird between you and the cashier who recognizes you from yesterday and the day before and the day before that.

Anyway, things are wrapping up here and our time in Tennessee is almost coming to an end. It’s pretty crazy to think about because, three years ago, on our roadtrip over here, it felt like it was going to take F-O-R-E-V-E-R to get back to California. And now we’re headed back. It feels sort of strange to close up shop when we’ve made a home of this place.

So much has changed between then and now.

When we arrived in Tennessee back in 2016, I was a “Weight Watcher.” I was a number-obsessed, point-calculating, calorie-counting human. And I always had been for as far back as I can remember. Now I’m returning back to California, convinced that I could never jump on the diet bandwagon again.

When we arrived in Tennessee, I was a teacher. I’ll be returning back to California with a new career. I can’t say I’ll never return to the classroom again. For all I know, I may miss working with the kiddos in that capacity. But, for now, and for the foreseeable future, I will be working as a school psychologist.

When we arrived in Tennessee, I was convinced that I was going to make temporary friends. I was going to have a social life, but they’d be my interim social network. I couldn’t possibly have anything in common with people who grew up in a small town in rural Appalachia. We moved during an election year. THE election year. The MAGA hats, the Confederate flags, the Trump banners all in my face. It was, without a doubt, a HUGE culture shock. Still, I’m returning to California, realizing that, despite our individual backgrounds and our different beliefs, we are all just human beings. Wanting to do what is best for our family and our friends and the communities that we care about. I don’t always agree with what my friends believe. But I do believe that they are my friends for life.

Lastly, when we arrived in Tennessee, I was certain that all we had to do was “bide our time.” That it was something to just “get through.” That we needed to keep our heads down, work really hard, and that “this too shall pass.” Instead, I’ll be returning to California, having held my head up high, keeping my eyes wide open, letting my heart get completely invested in the place and the people here. I will return having immersed myself in the community and the culture. With no regrets or worries about not doing enough.

I loved our time here. It shaped me in a way that I never imagined possible and I’m returning to California a little wiser because of our experiences.

I’m so thankful that I didn’t end up with what I thought I wanted.

This right here was not at ALL what I wanted.

Yet, somehow, it was everything that I needed.

Questions of the Day:

When was the last time that you were put in a situation that you didn’t want? And it ended up being the exact thing you needed?