A Chapter Ends

If life can be divided into chapters, then I am coming to the end of one of the key chapters in my life.  Yes, all chapters hold some significance, but there are those that you recognize as being life changing - ones that truly shift the course of your life. 

The last 4 years of my life have, literally, been life changing.  It began when I moved out of my comfort zone in Columbus, Ohio where I worked for a CPA firm as an administrative and marketing assistant, and came to Lodi, California to begin working as a full time, live-in nanny.  While it was difficult to leave my family and everything I knew behind, I tried to see it as an adventure.  Of course, I had my moments of homesickness and loneliness, but I was blessed with the wonderful people I worked for, who welcomed me into their family with open arms!  Jack, my 18 month old charge, was adorable, and we had such fun exploring our surroundings together.  I guess you could say he was my first California friend!  After a few months, I really began to feel at home in California.  I knew my way around, made friends, and even helped to start an alumni chapter for my sorority. 

As time passed, my "California Family" began to grow, first with the arrival of baby Molly in August 2008, and again shortly thereafter, when I met Ben, the true love of my life.  By some miracle, my job didn't scare him off, and he merged happily into our little family unit.  He absolutely adored the kids, and thankfully, the feeling was mutual!  Their little faces absolutely lit up when he walked in the door (and still do)!  When we got married in 2009, we moved into the guest house at the back of the property and have been happily installed there for 2 years, as a simple extension to the family.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.  As we've adjusted to married life, and all that comes with hitching your wagon to someone else's, we've come to realize that, while this lifestyle has been a blessing, it's time to make a change.  A combination of the stress of Ben being self-employed, a crummy economy, and wanting to have more independence has led us to decide to say goodbye to our life in California and head to Salt Lake City (Ben's home town) to begin a new chapter in our lives.  Of course this has been a process, a slow acceptance of the changes to come, and now, a gearing up for the actual move and readjustment to new surroundings.

As I face yet another bold move and drastic change in my life, I can't help but feel a sadness that this chapter must come to and end.  In some ways, I'm ready to move on, yet part of me wishes that I could just stay here forever.  This has been my home, my family, my life for 4 years.  I keep reminding myself that this isn't so much the closing of a door, but the opening of a window.  We will still be a fixture in the lives of our family and friends here in California, as they have been such an important part of ours.  While I'm still somewhat uncertain about what the future holds, I'm sure that there will be many new and exciting experiences waiting for us in Salt Lake City!  Moving on is simply the next part of the journey, and, as we come to the end of this wonderful chapter, we march ahead into a new one with faith, enthusiasm, and hopefully a little luck!