Gotta Move

I'm making it official today.
Sometime this summer, I will be moving to Richmond, Virginia.
The estimated time of departure is sometime in July.
While I'm not sure how long I'll be there, because there is no way to predict the future, I do plan on living there for about 3 years.
Now, don't give me that face I have been seeing on all my friends and family, I'm serious about this. I have weighed my options, thought this out thoroughly and have come to this decision with every intent of seeing it out completely.

Recently, I visited some friends in Richmond during the holidays and enjoyed myself immensely. It's so quiet and calm and historical and beautiful and full of opportunity. There's a booming downtown district as well as the outskirts that are just surrounded in trees. So many damn trees everywhere!
I spent a week there and enjoyed every moment of it. Being on my own in a strange place, experiencing an actual season and seeing all kinds of places I never thought I'd see. After plenty of persuading from my friends I finally gave in and said I'd see them in August. Before I left there, I had made the decision to come back for good.

So far, the plan is to save up and get all my affairs in order for the next 4 months. Starting in late April, I will be applying to jobs in Richmond and scoping out places to live. Once I have a job, I will then have a moving date. When the date is set, I'll drive across the country in my little car, accompanied by some friend or possibly my mother and bring my belongings with me. Not all of them of course, but enough to get me by for the first few months and until I can get my own place. My friends, Jeff and Janan have been nice enough to offer up their house to me while I save up and get used to the area for a month or so. When the time comes, I'll then move into my own place and begin my life on my own.

Just typing those words scares me, but it's something I've looked forward to doing for so long, that the excitement beats the fear every time. Of course, now you're probably wondering why I'd move across the country? School? No. I obviously don't have a job lined up or a boy I'm chasing after. So the reason must be.... Because I can.
This is the adventure I've been waiting for. A test of my independent spirit. A chance to try something new in a different place. Something to shake up my life and give my life story some meat to it.

Don't get all teary eyed just yet, I still have 5 months until I leave and I will be back.
I'm looking forward to a few more accomplishments while I'm hear and seeing what I can do in such a short amount of time.
The idea of sorting through all my stuff and deciding what to keep, what to take and what to toss is actually exciting and I look forward to the day I put a deposit down on my own place. For now, however, I'm saving up bit-by-bit and making plenty of lists.

One day I'll be typing the words "I'm leaving for Virginia today" and it will be a beautiful day.