32 years ago, today, I left NC as a young woman filled with hopes, dreams, flip flops, a strappy pair of heels, some spring/summer clothes, and a map. None of these items did me any good except the dream of trusting in the magic of a new beginning for myself. Hope is a weak ass word, turns out flip flops and summer clothing and even the heels are weak ass items for New England weather, and I am dyslexic, so a map only gets me lost.
I didn’t know anyone so I would be meeting a whole new group of friends AND a potential roommate (all before the days of Airbnb and Zoom and that was it). My perspective was “this is so cool with a blank slate to start painting what I wanted.”
Dreams came true, new dreams were birthed. I created a life full of disappointments, a marriage, three amazing adult children (that doctors told me I could never have) a divorce, a new love so intense it blew me away and saying goodbye to that love. I have experienced...