Monday, August 22, 2011

End of An Era

I apologize for my lack of blog posts as of late. To say that I have been busy would be an understatement. I have spent the last few weeks apartment hunting, looking/ applying for jobs, going on interviews. The good news is that I was offered a new job in Northern Virginia. The bad news is that my new job starts on August 29, just one week from today.

Which means that I had to resign from my current job, pack up all my belongings, sell my furniture, and say goodbye to a city that I have fallen in love with these past two years--all in the span of two weeks. It's been rough, to say the least.

While packing and moving and dropping boxes of clothes off at Goodwill has been physically demanding, the hardest part has been saying goodbye. I went to my favorite restaurant, Joe's Inn, for brunch and realized that this might be the last time I go to Joe's in a while. I went to my WW meeting on Thursday and had to tell all the members who have cheered me on this past year and half that I was leaving and I wasn't going to reach my goal weight. I said goodbye to all my close friends, and then my friends at the coffee shop, my friends at my bars, my friends in my building, etc...I think it's hard to realize just how much of a life you've created for yourself until you have to leave it.

My house is empty and bare now. In a way, it's a relief, because I don't much left to move this coming week. On the other hand, it's depressing and inconvenient as hell. I miss having a bed and sofa and dining room table. My television is currently propped up on two stacks of books with a board, and my bed consists of an air mattress on the floor. Leo, my sensitive cat, has taken to hiding under the claw-footed bathtub. Fanny, my precocious cat, has decided that knocking over random objects--such as glasses, nails, hammers, books--is an amusing game to play at 3am. Generally, it's a madhouse at my apartment.

So, with all of this going on, it's been harder than usual to focus on my weight loss journey. I am disappointed that I won't be hitting my goal weight in time for my last meeting in Richmond, but I know that I've come a long way, and it doesn't *really* matter that I'll leave my meeting being roughly 3 pounds from goal.

Living in Richmond has been such an amazing experience for me. I've lost weight, gotten healthy, built up my self confidence, made friends, and learned how to survive on my own two feet. I've grown a lot in the past two years, and I'm little anxious to leave the city that has helped me to accomplish so much. On the other hand, I know that it's not the place that has enabled me to do this--it's me. And I know that moving back home with a better job will enable me to grow professionally and economically. I just hope and pray that I'll be able to continue my healthy lifestyle without my own apartment and city. I hope that I won't be too lonely in Northern VA. I hope that I won't revert back to the old habits that made me 90 pounds overweight.

I don't think I will. I have enough faith in myself to know that it doesn't matter where I am, these changes are permanent. I'm excited and scared to start a new chapter in my life. I know that I've made the right decision, it's just hard to leave.


2 comments:

  1. You'll find people in NoVa - a lot of people around DC read your blog! Moving is tough, though, so hang in there and do your best to stay healthy.

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  2. You'll be missed! But send me your NoVA address... I'm up there once a month or so, maybe we can hang. You'll find a bigger support network up there than you realize. -OA Jill

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