I've been thinking of your post all day after reading it this morning. It really hit home for me, as well. I also grew up in a rural town (small farming town in California of about 1000 people). And I moved to San Francisco for college and then stayed in the Bay Area after. I'm thinking of moving in the next year or so, which is really unsettling, but also brings a lot of hope with it. You stated everything really beautifully and I'm so happy for you and the ways you are listening to your calling. Thank you for sharing everything. I'm looking forward to your next post and to learning how things go for you.
I think "unsettling" is the perfect word for it. Because, really, we're contemplating changing where we're settled, sort of like we're stirring up long-latent sediment in a pond. Things feel cloudy right now, but I know it'll clear. I hope you listen to your heart and move if it feels right for you. Sending you lots of support!
I've always gotten a certain feeling when reading your newsletter that I couldn't quite put my finger on, until today: it feels like I'm reading a novel. You have a way of depicting things vividly that makes me feel like I'm reading a full-length novel. Is this something you might explore doing in the future? I'd love to one day read a novel written by you. :)
That's so kind, Val! I've heard that from other people, but I don't know if I have the patience to write a whole novel! Maybe a collection of essays...
This hits home. I grew up in rural PA, and I somehow always knew I wouldn’t stay there. I loved cities with all their excitement and access to cool things like Barnes and Noble. 😂 I developed a new appreciation for my hometown as I got older, especially once I moved to the DC area after college. I love that you can see all the stars at night, the sense of community pride, the peace and quiet, and, most of all, my family that still lives there. Experiencing both ends of the spectrum gave me perspective and made me thankful for the way I grew up. Who knows where we’ll end up, but everywhere I’ve lived has played a part in who I am now.
So so excited for you and the next steps in your journey! I can’t wait to follow along 💖
Family is such a huge part of it all, too! My folks moved away from Missouri after all of the kids went to college, so I think that's part of why I am eager to leave. My roots were sort of dispersed already. And I'm cracking up at your mention of Barnes and Noble because I felt the same way...so much so that I worked there after college because I thought it was so cool! LOL!
Congratulations on chosing from your heart. May your adventure be full of love and joy! I grew up in Missouri (or Missourah on my mom's side of the family). Kansas City suburbs. Lived there until after college. In the early 90s I had the chance to move to the west coast and I spent almost a decade living in the San Francisco bay area and in Seattle. I loved Seattle so much. It still feels like the place I belong. I moved back to Kansas City in 2001 because I knew it was the right choice and I have never regreted spending the next many years here, first with my nieces and nephews (the first born in 2001) and then/now with my aging parents and soon to have their own adult life nieces and nephews. Living elsewhere freed me from a lot of things. It helped me see things done differently, things I might never have realized could be done differently because I never considered it. It changed my politics and my way of interacting with the world completely. It opened me to so many things. Life takes the strangest twists and turns and you have to follow them when you just know they are the way to go.
Thank you for sharing, Karen! I'm excited to see what shifts for me as I leave behind what I've always known. Sounds like you had that experience! And you're so right...life does take such strange twists and turns if we let it.
I always enjoy your writing but never comment. This one was especially relevant to my life, as a fellow Midwesterner. I grew up in a tiny town of 1100 in Northern Illinois, and while I've moved around the Stateline area for college, and now live south of Milwaukee, 80 miles from where I grew up, I feel like I never really left the comfort and safety of living in the Midwest. I don't regret it, but moving to a more metropolitan area after living in a tiny town with no stoplight definitely changes perspectives. I wish you the best on your amazing journey and look forward to reading about it here!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Chelsea! Growing up the way we did was such a unique experience...it gave us perspective when we did venture into the bigger parts of the world. I keep telling people that it may be the best or worst decision I've ever made...stay tuned! :)
So well written and beautiful! I envy and admire your honesty and transparency. Keep being you so that we can all ride your coattails to more authenticity!
I've been thinking of your post all day after reading it this morning. It really hit home for me, as well. I also grew up in a rural town (small farming town in California of about 1000 people). And I moved to San Francisco for college and then stayed in the Bay Area after. I'm thinking of moving in the next year or so, which is really unsettling, but also brings a lot of hope with it. You stated everything really beautifully and I'm so happy for you and the ways you are listening to your calling. Thank you for sharing everything. I'm looking forward to your next post and to learning how things go for you.
I think "unsettling" is the perfect word for it. Because, really, we're contemplating changing where we're settled, sort of like we're stirring up long-latent sediment in a pond. Things feel cloudy right now, but I know it'll clear. I hope you listen to your heart and move if it feels right for you. Sending you lots of support!
I've always gotten a certain feeling when reading your newsletter that I couldn't quite put my finger on, until today: it feels like I'm reading a novel. You have a way of depicting things vividly that makes me feel like I'm reading a full-length novel. Is this something you might explore doing in the future? I'd love to one day read a novel written by you. :)
That's so kind, Val! I've heard that from other people, but I don't know if I have the patience to write a whole novel! Maybe a collection of essays...
I'd love to read that too! ☺️
This hits home. I grew up in rural PA, and I somehow always knew I wouldn’t stay there. I loved cities with all their excitement and access to cool things like Barnes and Noble. 😂 I developed a new appreciation for my hometown as I got older, especially once I moved to the DC area after college. I love that you can see all the stars at night, the sense of community pride, the peace and quiet, and, most of all, my family that still lives there. Experiencing both ends of the spectrum gave me perspective and made me thankful for the way I grew up. Who knows where we’ll end up, but everywhere I’ve lived has played a part in who I am now.
So so excited for you and the next steps in your journey! I can’t wait to follow along 💖
Family is such a huge part of it all, too! My folks moved away from Missouri after all of the kids went to college, so I think that's part of why I am eager to leave. My roots were sort of dispersed already. And I'm cracking up at your mention of Barnes and Noble because I felt the same way...so much so that I worked there after college because I thought it was so cool! LOL!
Congratulations on chosing from your heart. May your adventure be full of love and joy! I grew up in Missouri (or Missourah on my mom's side of the family). Kansas City suburbs. Lived there until after college. In the early 90s I had the chance to move to the west coast and I spent almost a decade living in the San Francisco bay area and in Seattle. I loved Seattle so much. It still feels like the place I belong. I moved back to Kansas City in 2001 because I knew it was the right choice and I have never regreted spending the next many years here, first with my nieces and nephews (the first born in 2001) and then/now with my aging parents and soon to have their own adult life nieces and nephews. Living elsewhere freed me from a lot of things. It helped me see things done differently, things I might never have realized could be done differently because I never considered it. It changed my politics and my way of interacting with the world completely. It opened me to so many things. Life takes the strangest twists and turns and you have to follow them when you just know they are the way to go.
Thank you for sharing, Karen! I'm excited to see what shifts for me as I leave behind what I've always known. Sounds like you had that experience! And you're so right...life does take such strange twists and turns if we let it.
I always enjoy your writing but never comment. This one was especially relevant to my life, as a fellow Midwesterner. I grew up in a tiny town of 1100 in Northern Illinois, and while I've moved around the Stateline area for college, and now live south of Milwaukee, 80 miles from where I grew up, I feel like I never really left the comfort and safety of living in the Midwest. I don't regret it, but moving to a more metropolitan area after living in a tiny town with no stoplight definitely changes perspectives. I wish you the best on your amazing journey and look forward to reading about it here!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Chelsea! Growing up the way we did was such a unique experience...it gave us perspective when we did venture into the bigger parts of the world. I keep telling people that it may be the best or worst decision I've ever made...stay tuned! :)
So well written and beautiful! I envy and admire your honesty and transparency. Keep being you so that we can all ride your coattails to more authenticity!
Thank you! That means a lot.