I moved. Not just a few hundred miles away from the small town we lived in... but I moved more than 1,000 miles and 8 states away. It was unplanned, sudden, and very much welcomed.
I have wanted to move on from my job in the country since the Fall semester. I wasn't unhappy by any means. Well, maybe just a tad. Then May 1st came, my self-appointed and boss-appointed deadline to make the decision. No job offers or even job prospects. I submitted applications and searched for jobs every day. Nada. It was heartbreaking.
I knew that I was leaving on June 1 for summer break and I wanted to make a decision before I left. So, with nothing on the horizon, I decided to stick it out for another year. I spent the entire summer swallowing my pride, asking God's for guidance, and accepting the idea that I would be back for another year. I set things in place to make sure I continued to live a balanced life and to make sure I stayed sane.
Then, on July 11 I received a phone call. It from was from an employer who wanted to interview me. I had submitted my application the month before and didn't hear anything. He interviewed me that day, offered me the job less than 24-hours later, and I accepted on Friday the 13th. Oh, and I quit my current job that same day. I flew out to Virginia to train on the 16th. A complete and utter whirlwind.
It's funny how my friends and family were not at all surprised by the suddenness of the decision and the move. It's how I've always lived my adult life: move somewhere you've never been and face a challenge head on.
What I didn't expect was how I would react to the changes. It has only been 3 weeks and so much has already happened. I wouldn't trade this homelessness, realization-that-I-don't-know-anything-at-all, and anxiety for all the comfort in the world. It's new and it's exciting.
BUT...there's always that little part of me that yearns for something familiar. That's normal, I'm sure. I don't seek normal. As a matter of fact, I usually run from it. Every once in a while, I do welcome it unknowingly. Only later do I realize how much I needed that.
There were two 'familiars' that appeared in my life this weekend: Church and Starbucks.
Church is home. It's been a constant in this world for 2000+ years and it's been a constant in my life. No matter where I go in this world, I know that I can always count on the constancy and beauty of the Catholic church. The liturgy, the prayers, the hymns, and the wonderful smell of incense. It's the very home that Jesus Christ established on this earthly world.
Then, having absolutely no desire to go back to where I'm currently staying and not having any friends yet, I decided to go to Starbucks late Saturday afternoon...to blog, which I never did. But Starbucks is a very familiar part of my life. So many great conversations and so many great memories happened at Starbucks. I also know that wherever I am in the country or the world (I've been to a couple in the Philippines), I always know that the cup of latte that I have in my hand is good. If it isn't, I can ask them to remake it for me.
I was surprised by how much I welcomed the familiarity these places brought to me. Maybe I needed it after such a hectic three weeks. I know that in time, this town and all it's quirks will become familiar to me...in the meantime, I always have the Eucharist...and Starbucks.
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