In You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly makes the difficult decision to close her beloved The Shop Around the Corner children’s bookstore. It’s a decision that, she notes, was not an easy one as the shop was such a large part of her life since she was a young girl. When she tells the older and wiser Birdie of the plan, her friend replies, “Closing the store is the brave thing to do … you are daring to imagine that you could have a different life.”
Never have these words rang so close to home as they do to me now. Later this summer, I will be leaving the place I’ve known since childhood and moving to a different life in Terre Haute, Indiana. Bryan accepted an amazing leadership role at Indiana State University. So Bryan, Sophie and I (and Casey, Cody and Tess) will become Midwesterners after all these years in San Diego.
In many ways, I feel like Jo March as she leaves her small home of Concord for a new life in New York. Only I’m doing the opposite of Jo, as I’m going from big to small. I don’t mind the small, and I welcome a slower, less crowded pace. I hope I will be as brave as Jo as she embraced her new life and the adventures that lie ahead.
I am sad to leave my family, and the community I’ve come to love. And I’ll miss all that’s familiar to me. But I’m excited to experience a completely different way of life and find new places to explore. We’ll be able to see parts of the country that I’ve never known before. Sophie can perfect her basketball skills and become a Hoosier. And of course, seasons! Finally, trips to the pumpkin patch in autumn when I’m not wearing sleeveless tops and flip flops in 90-degree heat!
I’m fortunate that my business allows me to work virtually with clients from all over the country. Hopefully my writing and marketing skills will help new businesses and entrepreneurs in Indiana and the Midwest. And I can’t wait to share all my new thoughts and moments here with all of you (so much more blogging fodder!).
It’s going to be a crazy summer. So much to think about as we pack up our belongings to move east. I’m still wrapping my head around transporting an 8-year-old, two dogs and a cat across country — that will be a road trip for the books! There will be many more musings about our move and Indiana in the future. But for now, I’m ready to imagine a different life in Indiana.
Thanks for your all your support as Leah’s Thoughts makes a cross-country journey. Moving tips will be appreciated!
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