You would think that moving back to your hometown would be easy. That you would know all kinds of people, that you would have built in friends, that your social life wouldn’t stall out. For some people, maybe that is how it works. Unfortunately, that’s not how it worked for me. I moved home and I realized that it wasn’t quite that easy. That at 27, it takes a lot of work to create a good group of friends.

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I’ve been more or less absent for about a month now. Between moving from Boston to Atlanta, my friend’s wedding, and being sick for the past week I just haven’t had the time or the inclination to write a post.

Here’s a brief update on everything that’s happened:

The move was a nightmare. We used United, who farmed the job out to T.E. Andresen. They didn’t know that they were supposed to be packing my stuff, didn’t bring enough boxes, didn’t pack things well and broke at least 15 items of furniture on their way here. Total. Nightmare. We are filing an insurance claim with them, but it’s just insanity.

We are working on getting ourselves settled in and Jack started his new job this week. Between my being down for the count last week and Jack’s new job, we still have a ways to go on the settling in front. Lots of boxes still need unpacking and a lot of stuff needs to go to Salvation Army. What a process, but hopefully we can get some of it done this weekend.

My good friend Christie got married in Richmond, and I had a wonderful time with my college friends. It was just awesome.

I think that gets everything up to date. Hopefully there will be more frequent posts as things start to settle down.

Here we come, Atlanta.

Last night we had a going away party. Our favorite people got together to have dinner and send us off in style. I couldn’t have asked for a better goodbye. Dinner was spent talking over one another, laughing and eating delicious things. I realized, once again, how we are incredibly lucky. We have spent a little more than a year in this city and we were able to make so many amazing friends. People who will not be forgotten when we leave Boston. People who will be a part of our lives throughout the future.

When the dinner wound down, we said our goodbyes and then there were four of us. Jacky and Ed asked if they could take us to dessert at Toscanini’s Ice Cream (I’ve been desperate to try it for months) and I happily agreed. We drove through Boston with the windows down and sunroof open. The cool night air swept through the car moving the melodies of the music around with our blowing hair. The Weepies were playing “Happiness” on the radio and the moment could not have been more perfect. I looked back at Jack and we exchanged a smile that said it all. Lucky. We are so lucky.

The ice cream was incredible. They have unique flavors like Prosciutto or Burnt Caramel. They have traditional flavors like Triple Chocolate. I had a mix of Goat Cheese Brownie and Salted Caramel and it was amazing. I have never tasted anything quite like it.

What a way to end this journey… with such a salty & sweet taste in my mouth. I am overjoyed to be going home to the South. I love that we will be back in the heat and rolling hills of Georgia. Yet… I am taken aback by how much I will miss these people. How much they have influenced and shaped me just over the course of a year.

Last night I had a moment where my happiness was tangible. It was a feeling of fullness & joy that seems to be bursting through your chest. To be so grateful for the experience of this past year. Knowing that I wouldn’t exchange a moment. And then the lyrics that summed it up perfectly… 

My heart won’t stay entirely in this ribcage.

Is my last day at work. Excited, stressed out and a little sad all at once.

Before the packing and moving begins. I spent a lovely Saturday with my friend, Jacky, who took me to a spa, got lunch with me, dragged me (she had to force me, I swear!) to get manicures and pedicures and then took me to get a bubble tea before dropping me off at home. Now I’m relaxing by watching HBO and contemplating how much I have to do before we leave.

In a few hours, Jack and I are going out to dinner at a restaurant I have desperately been wanting to try and spending the evening with one of our favorite Bostonian couples. Tomorrow I will have to remember that we are moving, that I need to start packing and that I have less than a week to pull it together.

Tonight is for pretending that doesn’t exist. It’s not that I’m not happy to be moving home (I am SO happy), but I have made wonderful friends here that I will miss.

Here’s to using the last week in Massachusetts* to try all the places that I haven’t gotten to yet!

*Confession: I still struggle to spell that word correctly on the first try. Sigh.

A little over a year has come and gone during my “Great Northern Adventure.” The winter up here about did me in and I’m pretty sure I experienced a little bit of what’s known as seasonal depression. How people stand all that grey and snow on an everyday basis… I’ll never understand!

For a few months, Jack and I have been kicking around the idea of moving back to Atlanta. He’s been gone from the South for 3 consecutive years and I’ve been hopping back and forth for two and a half. We came to the conclusion that we wanted to live in a place where we knew we would be staying… and for us that’s Atlanta.

Being a Cornhusker Jack isn’t originally from the South, but since he spent two years there for grad school and it’s where we met he has a fond spot for Atlanta and has voted that it’s going to be a pretty good place for us to settle down.

Neither of us enjoyed our experiences with moving in the past, but we have our fingers crossed that it will be a little less painful than before.

We’ve officially put in our notice with our companies, all the hard decisions have been made and as of the end of August… we’ll officially be on our way home.