When Steve and I moved away from home for the first time, I don't think we realized all we were leaving behind. Driving to Kentucky for the first time (a mere 8 hour drive, which we completely took for granted) was difficult, but we got through it. I don't think either of us cried, though our families were sure shedding a few tears. I just knew if I started crying I wouldn't be able to go through with it. We're both pretty attached to our families.
However, when we arrived at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, we were welcomed and treated like family. I will never forget moving into our little duplex up in the Appalachian Mountains and having the entire community come out to help us move in. Even a woman who was about seven months pregnant was lugging boxes and furniture with the rest. Our first day on campus, they had a big snowstorm and everything was closed down. A bunch of the ladies (who we later learned were kitchen staff at the single men's dorm) made us dinner and crept into the temporary apartment we were staying in and left it for us while we slept. It was quite a blessing to wake up and have food waiting on us. A little creepy, but still nice.
I was a little more extroverted at the time. I got a job at the college's library and knew everyone. Dealing with people who aren't completely insane will really help your outlook on life.
Moving to Memphis was much easier, since we thought we knew what we were getting into. The Seminary is similar, though more difficult, as we expected. The people are different, too. When we moved here, I did cry. No one came to help us unpack, and whenever we'd do the "Kentucky Wave" (in which you wave at anyone and everyone you see) we'd just get blank or suspicious stares. It's a hard habit to break, but break it we did. You'd think coming back to a good-sized city would be like coming home but it's not. I'm sure my job doesn't help, but it seems like half the city has passed through the waiting room at the funny farm at some point. So now we're 783 miles from home, and believe me, I feel every one of them. My parents left for home this morning and I seriously thought about stowing away in the trunk of their car.
I miss Michigan.*Yaya's
*Big John's
*Sophie's Kitchen
(yes, a lot of good things about my hometown involve food)
*Four hours from Mackinac
*One hour from Canada
You can give directions by pointing to your hand. (people down here just don't get it when I hold up my right hand to tell them where I'm from.)
*My niece and nephews
*My brother and sisters
*My cats, Ray and Peaches
I'm a little homesick, can you tell?
3 comments:
I feel for you. God always has you where He wants you to be, though. I believe that.
I've never moved such a far distance from my place of origin, but I lived in the same house for the first 37 years of my life, so ANY move from there was slightly traumatic. Having MY WIFE with me eased it all, of course.
Just said a prayer for your happiness. Hope it helps!
I lived in a bunch of different houses in Nashville (dorms in Memphis), but I never felt more isolated than when I first moved to Kentucky. Jackson was not the same as Pineville apparently. Of course, the man I was married to then was not someone I should have married, so that didn't help. I enjoy Kentucky now. It's hard to be away from family, especially now with kids, but 200 miles is a weekend trip. 783 miles definitely isn't. The Kentucky wave freaked me out because I kept thinking it was someone I knew and I couldn't recognize who they were. I spent several anxious months over that one. I used to know lots of people in Memphis, but they're all old like me now. I'll see if I can hunt up some names.
We missed you when you went to Kentucky too. And now you're even farther away. More than just an eight hour drive. I love coming to see you, but, I must admit it's good to go home again. We look forward to seeing you at Christmas hon!
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