How this girl found herself in Oz

Well, it has been a while, like two years since I have written on my blog. So much has happened… my life has been turned upside-down several times, and blogging has been the last thing on mind. 

First off, we moved! Across the country! Yep, this Arizona girl is now residing in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. I love it here. It feels like I have been picked up by a tornado and dropped down in the Emerald City. Literally! It’s so green here.  I don’t think two states could be more geographically different.  I love the beauty of the desert, but I am taking full advantage of the beauty of the North East. 

It’s not just the green that is eye candy here. The history of this place is so cool, and you can see it everywhere, from the taverns and shops lining the main streets to the stone houses surrounded by horse pastures.  It is easy to picture carriages lumbering down the narrow roads. I live in this quant little town called Kennett Square… and it’s a dream come true for this history lover.

Kennett Square! Isn't it dreamy

Still, relocating a family of six, three being teenagers, was not an easy thing.  Shockingly, everyone has tried to embrace the change. With open minds we moved and made the best of it. My kids are THRIVING, thanks to the incredible friends they have made, and their determination to be make it work. I still catch myself worrying too much. Are they happy?  Do they resent us for moving them? Do they feel like they are missing out living away from family? Surprisingly, its my kids that are constantly telling me not to worry.  Man, I am so proud of all of them.

Also, I graduated from Arizona State University! Man, school just about killed me! I had no idea when I started this journey that going back to school was going to be as hard as it was.  That juggling family life, writing, moving, and school would push me to the brink of total shut down. Still, I pushed through, one day at a time, and finished.  I want to go back for my masters but not until we have a better idea of where we will be for the next few years. And not until I forget how hard college life is.  

I also lost both my parents within a year of moving. I am still trying to wrap my mind around them being gone. Most of the time I am good, at peace with their being together in a better place. Sometimes I am not at peace with it and am unbelievably sad to not be able to talk to them, especially now when I would really like the advice of a parent as I prepare my teenagers for adulthood.  But, life really bites sometimes and I am on my own here. I have to rely on my own instincts and Travis’ and hope we are doing the right thing.

I have sat down to write a few times over this last year, but found myself too overwhelmed with life to put words on a page. With school and the loss of my parents I had nothing left in me, making mustering up the creativity needed to write impossible.  I have wondered a few times if I would ever write again. Being someone that loves to write the thought put me into a bit of a funk. I have spent way too much time feeling sorry for myself.

Thankfully my daughter will not have any of it. She has been lecturing me on not giving up on what I love. She can be pretty persistent. Have no idea where she gets it from Plus, she is an avid reader like myself and wants to read more of my stories.   So, I am writing again. AND I LOVE IT. Going through what I have the last few years has been extremely hard, but I also see that I have a much deeper view of life and relationships. I am so much more AWARE. I can’t wait to express those feelings.

So, here I am, staring a new phase of my life, at the age of FOURTY! One would think I would be settled into myself by now. But nope, life is constantly changing, and I do love an adventure.