The Low Down

In three days, I will be embarking on the biggest adventure of my life. I am the girl who cried relentlessly on day one of church camp and secretly phoned my parents from a Steak N Shake payphone because I was so home sick. I sobbed for the first week of college and forced my sister to just sit on the phone with me for hours to console me. And approximately 84 hours from now, I will be hitting the road, headed west. 

I can't say that moving out of the St. Louis area had ever crossed my mind, ever. Growing up across the river, living in St. Louis was no big deal. I had even considered Chicago at one point in time. The Midwest is so comfortable and easy and familiar. Why would I leave?

Ok, ok, ok....four years have gone by since graduating college. I've had four different jobs in two school districts, a few serving jobs and I've been a nanny on the side for two years. I've lived at my parents' house in Illinois, in Chesterfield, in Soulard, back with my parents, back to Soulard and now back with my parents, again. Not exactly terrible, but not really where I expected my life to be on the verge of my 28th birthday. On the plus side, I don't have many bills, I don't pay rent and/or have a house payment, I have a college degree, I've been able to get jobs when I needed them, and I'm not illegitimately pregnant. My pros/cons list is pretty even steven. 

So, back to the question, why would I leave? Why now? Well, like any good romance novel, there's this boy.........blah blah blah, don't move there for a boyfriend, blah blah blah, what happens if you break up, blah blah blah, you don't know if things are going to work out. I get it. I'm trying to not become that stereotypical girl who is blinded by a relationship. I want this move to be about me and figuring out my life, first and foremost.

Short story is, we met in college, but it was never the right time for either of us to start a relationship together. We kept in contact after college and last year, realized this was something we wanted to try. Perfect timing! He lives in LA, and I live in St. Louis! I guess it's never really been ideal for us, but I realized, now is as good of a time as any to give it a go. 

So, again, WHY AM I MOVING? It all boils down to not having a lot to hold me back. I'm ready for an adventure. Ready for something to happen. I want to be able to tell everyone "When I was 28, I was crazy and picked up what little stuff I had and moved to California." I will be terribly sad to leave my friends and family behind, but Skype is here to save the day. My puppy dog will be coming out as soon as I find a place to live and until then, he'll be a master-Skyper, as well. I just know that I'll never have this opportunity ever again, so it's time to take advantage of it while I can. 

I am grateful for my life and friends and family, but it's time to shit or get off the pot. Hopefully, I won't bawl too relentlessly when I've (fingers-crossed) made it to LA and this all really hits me. And if I can't stop crying, I can always come back - the roommates said they'd hold my spot for me. 

I'm down to the bare essentials. Clothes, shoes, accessories, crock pot.....and I did some Angelina-from-Jersey-shore-packing and got out the trash bags. 

Some of the unorganized hanging clothes that will come along, too. A load of laundry and some snacks, and that's all folks! I'm a gypsy!