This is getting real, y'all.

My house is rented. My Illinois hygiene license is active. My car is sold. My resume is perfect (I've stared at it so many times that I can recite it...). Coats are packed. The moving truck is waiting on me. And in ONE week I'll get in that thing and pretend I know how to drive it 900+ miles.

It is unbelievable the path my life has taken. I never in a million years thought I could move away from Augusta. I never thought I'd be capable or that I could handle it. The thought of moving to even Atlanta or Charleston was like "Ohhhh no no no, that would never work out...". In July 2008, I sat in that lawyer's office and signed my life away to own my very first home. In my mind, I was going to make that home perfect. And Mr. Prince Charming was going to come knock at my door. And we were going to have little nuggets running around playing with our family dog while I planted flowers out front. I was going to live in that house FOREVER.

Fast forward to six months ago. My house? It was alright I guess. Prince Charming? Thank you, God, for unanswered prayers to save any of those relationships. The flowers? Died two days after I planted them. To put it simple, I hated life. I came home from work every night and would just sit in silence. One night I sat there, staring at the walls, and actually got a wave of excitement as the heat cut on. Was this....the highlight of my night? And right there, folks, was my turning point. I am so thankful that in that time, Rachel was there to convince me that moving would be okay. That changing my life for the better was okay. That being happy was O-K-A-Y. She even said "You don't even have to move up here to Chicago. Just move. Get out of that place!!" And, here I am today....

I keep saying "it STILL hasn't hit me yet" when people ask. I don't know that it ever will. Maybe when I'm up there and get on the wrong train and end up in Milwaukee? I may shed a few tears then. For sure. Everyone is starting to get a little emotional, which makes me feel like a rockstar, so I'm willing to bet it may hit me this weekend.....my last weekend in the south.

Wait for it...

I'M MOVING TO CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!