I’ve been noticing a lot of things. I live in a beautiful city. I have a pretty great life with a lot of amazing people in it. I noticed the sunset the other day and almost took a picture. I keep taking pictures in my mind of things I want to remember and moments I want to capture and hold onto forever. Remembering that it’s the little things that I will miss the most. The way the lights are strung above the mall parking lot that makes it look much prettier than it actually is because it’s a parking lot. The way the trees line both sides of the street on my way home. The same trees that I’ve passed by my whole life in my favorite neighborhood. The fact that I can’t go anywhere without running into someone I know. This town has been my home for 30 years and I’m leaving. I have eight months for that to sink in. 

I went to the Simi mall last night to take my nieces trick-or-treating and saw so many familiar faces. So many people I’ve gone to school with for years. These people with their families and their babies. Where has the time gone? Because of my job, I am constantly back at schools I used to attend and it makes me feel incredibly nostalgic. I can’t help but ask myself “where has the time gone” because it feels like yesterday when I was thinking of any possible reason to stay home from school. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss high school! I just can’t believe it was over 12 years ago. 

This new adventure excites every fiber of my being and ignites the flame that’s been, quietly, waiting for years to burn brilliantly. It’s just weird to think about the fact that, very soon, I will be leaving my home.