As I was falling asleep last night before midnight, for the first time in a long time, since it was 11:56pm when I went to bed, I realized that it was almost April 1st....and just like that was taken back to another late night March 31st when things were exciting and new with a former flame. I had been at the first cook-out of the season with friends earlier that evening where we excitedly talked about upcoming summer, baseball, and beach trips. It was still chilly but warm enough to wear a windbreaker and the snow seemed to be gone for good so we were all in good spirits. On this night, after a couple weeks of getting to know one another, I was invited to my crush's house for the first time after the cook-out. Before we knew it, midnight had come and gone and I had to make the drive from York to Harrisburg. As we were saying goodbye, my soon to be new boyfriend shared some news with me. He said that his job was sending him to Virginia and he would have to sell his house and move there. It was like a car screeching to a stop, brakes squealing, and I was stunned and distinctly remember thinking, "Well, isn't that just my luck....I really like this guy, we're starting something new here, and now he has to go all the way to Virginia!" before he broke out into a big grin and said, "April Fool's!!" I hadn't realized the date and had never been so relieved to hear that phrase. Ha!
It's funny thinking back to that prank, how far away Virginia seemed at the time. Nowadays, I view VA as a stepping stone or middle ground because it literally lies between where I am and where I love to go. The majority of my trip from NC to home is spent in the state of Virginia. It's beautiful and so looooooong. My mom and I have a running joke when she calls and says, "Where are you?" during a trip and I'll say, "Stiiiiiilllllll in Virginia!" I'm still in awe over the direction life takes. Had you told me that late night in 2007 that someday I would be living in NC and driving back and forth through VA as often as I do, I would laughed. Had you told me that the guy would have ended up dating a gal from VA then starting a family with her, I would have said, "Yeah right!" I had met this guy's family for the first time on Easter Sunday, which seemed appropriate given that it was the start of a new relationship and a time for new beginnings/growth.
Yet, every day we're given is a chance for new beginnings. There are new friends to be made, new places to go, new experiences to teach us. I pray that I always remain open to God's will and learning, even if it's the last thing I want to do or is uncomfortable. I'm trying to embrace that which causes me to push out of the safe and comfortable zone...even if it makes me a nervous wreck, such as flying from Charlotte to San Antonio alone (I HATE flying and even more so get extremely anxious about layovers) and staying in a *haunted* hotel by myself for the first night (I did not know this when I booked it!). I'm sure I will have lots of fun stories to share about my less than 72 hour trip to San Antonio this week!
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