go east, young man?

After sharing the news of my move with most people, it became apparent that I'm not going to actually have time to individually contact everyone person who wants to know when I leave, how the move goes, when I get there, etc., etc. So, I decided I'd finally just start an official blog. I don't have anything as exciting to share as the people who have fashion blogs, or share spiritual truths, or adventures in Africa. But, I'll be able to stay in touch with a lot of you.

That being said, for those of you who don't know, I will start my little cross-country trek (aka, long stinking drive) to Port Jefferson Station, New York (on Long Island) one week from today. I've yet to decide whether this is going to be a solo journey or if I'll have a traveling partner, but this is the potential route I'm considering:

Medford, OR to Salt Lake City, UT ~ 13 hrs.

Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs, CO ~ 9.5 hrs.

Colorado Springs to Chicago, IL ~ 17 hrs.

Chicago to Port Jefferson Station, NY ~ 15 hrs.

Having already driven cross country with my family at least three times (it may be as many as six, I don't really remember; I'm fairly certain I've blocked certain memories), I'm opting not to make this a 'road trip,' but to get to NY as quickly as freaking possible so I can relax and see my family.

It's been three or four years since I started seriously considering a move to New York. Having been born there and having lots of family (my mother's entire side) still living there, some part of my heart has always thought of NY as home, even though I've never really lived there long enough for it to become that. So, five or six weeks ago, almost on a whim, I decided to call me uncle and ask if I could stay with him. He said yes. Then I called a couple Starbucks in NY, asking if they needed a transfer, and one manager actually told me they could use someone that weekend. I told him I couldn't get there quite that quickly, but I could hopefully be there in a month. So, I put in my transfer request, received an approval on that almost two weeks ago, and I'm leaving on Monday. It's happening fast, but that's starting to become a theme in my life.

My main purpose in moving there is to get to know my family. It's been 11 years since I've seen them, and it's time to spend some time with them. I've prayed about moving on and off over the last couple years, and I know that spending this time with my family is a God-given desire on my heart, not just the whim of a young, single guy. As I prayed about this transfer and move, every door was wide open, so I'm taking that as a sign to jump headfirst into this adventure, and that's what I'm going to do!

It's bittersweet in a couple ways. The last year living in Medford hasn't been the easiest or most spiritually fulfilling of my life. I've only just recently started to feel a sense of purpose and excitement start to come back to my heart, and now I'm leaving again. But I know I'm leaving for a good reason, and God's going to continue to open doors and my eyes to new things as I get there. And I'm not too distraught knowing that I'm just gonna have to make it the occasional Yankee game and Broadway show.

That's the news. I'll try to make sure I get some decent photos along the way and put those up, and I'll put up another little update once I make it to NY. I hope to stay in touch with a lot of you this way, so thanks for reading!


-M