new chapter

Warning: this is somewhat lengthy rambling post.

So.. josh and i are moving to washington! After discussing our future plans and life and hopes and dreams about five months ago, we decided moving would be best for us at this point in our lives. I'll briefly tell you why!

Josh is in a band, its his career but even more so its his calling in life. His passion. And part of this, a huge part in fact, is being on the road.. most often times, for months at a time. Previously, I had always gone on tour with him. And while touring is extremely fun (imagine a 2 month long road trip with your best friends, going city to city and being mostly care-free), it is also not for everyone (now imagine what i said above, and add no sleep, eating exclusively packaged food, being in a vehicle ALL day, and no hobbies, ect ).. even with all those cons, touring is still a pretty good time. however, its not MY calling or career or passion so it can suck the life out of you… Which is why most, if not every wife with a touring husband stays home. Looking back I am SO grateful for the opportunities to go with him, so many countless memories and experiences, not to mention, i met some pretty amazing people out there. But i'm ready to move on, and work toward my own career and passions and dreams, and luckily i have a husband who not only understands but pushes me to do so. Which is where washington comes in… I have my cosmetology license in washington state and i have yet to work in a salon because a few days after graduating we moved to georgia.. and then tours, and then later realized that i couldn't just transfer my license, i would have to go back to school here. So that is one of the main reasons we're moving.. living there we'll both be able to do what we love to do… (since he's able to live anywhere and still do what he does)

The other big deciding factor in moving is the church we LOVE is there. It's really important to us to be involved in and part of a church, which we haven't had since we lived here. and we've been avid podcasters of solid rock for years and it was a dream of ours to be able to actually go there and be involved. i am so excited about this.

Another thing, it is extremely (incredibly, awfully) hard to be away from your spouse for months at a time.. like something i will NEVER get used to. But it is so so so helpful to have a support system in the form of friends and family, and i honestly don't have that in georgia (the only friends i have here are the guys in the band and band wife, vanessa). i think i would've turned into a compressed mess of tears had i ever tried to stay home. in fact, last summer i had plans to stay home from the 2 month tour but days before they were supposed to leave i had a full on panic attack and breakdown and we quickly realized that staying home while we lived here wasn't really an option.. and i ended up going!
but i grew up in washington and my entire family and tons of friends are there, so my support system is already in place.. (and boy do they have their work cut out for them)

This is going to be an incredibly exciting and sad and happy and crazy year. But i'm definitely ready for it!! I am a workaholic at heart and as much as i've enjoyed the past three years not working, i am SOOOO ready to be a busy working woman again.

Of course, I will miss things about georgia.. the guys in the band are like my brothers (and they better call me at least once a week!), and i'll miss josh's family whom i love dearly (the in-law stereotype must've skipped us, i seriously adore his parents). There will be things i don't miss though, like the humidity… good riddance to you.

So here's to this new chapter in our lives!


p.s. I would like it to be known that i didn't force josh into this decision, or give him an ultimatum or ask him to quit the band, or any of those horrible things wives do… in fact, it was his idea and decided on after much prayer on the topic.