it's the end of an era

After 5 years of debate, procrastination, and planning, tomorrow, before the dawn, I leave for grad school. I spent the day loading the Jeep with the stuff I’d spent the past month or so packing. My rule was that if I couldn’t fit it in the Jeep, it didn’t need to go. Needless to say, every square inch of the Jeep is loaded with stuff. Literally. Glove box. Console. Under the seats. There’s even rolled up hoodies and some flat stuff surrounding the spare tire. The only space I left is so I can still see out the windows at least a little bit.

I’ve spent the past week and a half meeting up with my Raleigh friends to hang out and say goodbye. Some I hadn’t seen for a while. Others I saw on a regular basis. Goodbyes always suck regardless. In my mind, I’d always thought of NC as a temporary stop and never really thought of it as home. Florida was home. Manhattan felt more like home #2 while I was there, partially because my family is from NY, but also partially because it felt like a natural fit. I’ll be honest- I don’t think I really gave NC a fair shot.

Despite all that, as I’ve been finishing my time living here, I realized just how much I actually enjoyed it. I learned hockey here. I had seasons here. Most importantly, I’ve met a bunch of awesome people here, several of whom are still gonna be stuck with me as a friend for a while. I have a tendency to not realize how people have impacted my life until I’m moving on to my next big adventure, and the same was true here.

After we all went our separate ways following my going away dinner last night, it hit me that after I leave, things won’t be the same whenever I come back. My life mentee and one of my oldest Raleigh friends will be heading to grad school, locations tbd, but with more options out of Raleigh than in. Some friends are as nomadic as I am, and considering moves around that time as well. One of the other Raleigh friends I’ve known the longest left the state about a month ahead of me for Texas.

I’ve definitely learned some interesting life lessons in my NC limbo experience. A lot of what not to do both job and life-wise, but hey, that’s how you figure life out. It may have had its rough patches along the way, but there are definitely a ton of good memories I’ll take with me. It’s been fun NC, but it’s time to move on.

The end of an era, for sure…