You know how it feels when you are riding in the rear-facing seat in a station wagon and you are watching everything that the driver was driving toward pass behind you? Its a strange perspective because when we are moving, its usually forward (walking, driving, flying) we aren't usually looking behind us.That's sortof how life is.
Usually I'm just living it--doing the daily things, participating in each minute that goes by, rarely looking back. Of course, there are the moments of nostalgia and memories of days gone by, but I don't really live life looking backward. Lately, however, I feel like I'm going through life in the backseat of a station wagon. I've made a lot of decisions that are majorly life-changing and it feels like I'm walking away from so much of my life and all that it has been and I can't help but look back.
Leaving Lynchburg is strangely hard in its own way. When I came here for college, I always knew I would leave when I finished and the fact that I've been graduated an entire year and I'm still here is a surprise in itself to me. But, Luke is here, so what can I say.
This city, in its own unique way, somehow finds its way into your heart. After months (maybe years) of complaining about the fact that there's nothing to do and the only things open after midnight are Wal-Mart, McDonalds and the Texas Inn, slowly but surely, the awesome things about Lynchburg start to present themselves to you. For example: great hikes (Peaks of Otter, the Blue Ridge Parkway and so many waterfalls & Shenandoah National Park), wonderful people and amazing community, the best two coffee shops ever (The White Hart and The Muse), surprising culture in the downtown area including awesome shops, a record store, farmer's market (regular and green), summertime movies, delicious restaurants. Its a pretty great place if you can manage to get past Wards Road (which isn't horrible, its just not cool).
Of course, Lynchburg has it's drawbacks. I could go into those, but I'm not in the mood. As I'm leaving, all I have are good memories. Nights of driving around in my old car with the sunroof back, blaring music and singing with my friends. Late night runs to Sonic for cheesy fries. So many good times at Liberty in the dorms (including watching through the entire series of Dawson's Creek my freshman year with a bunch of girls on my hall). Finding One Community Church and going to Thursday night small group and meeting people that I really loved and connected with. It's been a good 4 1/2 years in this town and the time has come to say goodbye.
And then there's Charlotte. A place that has been my home for the past 23 years and 5 days. I was born in Presbyterian Hospital, uptown. I spent my entire childhood and teenage years in this city. I love it. It's easier for me to summarize my experience in Lynchburg in a couple of paragraphs. Charlotte holds so much more to me. It holds my whole life.
Ever since I was a little kid, I've always told my family that I was going to leave one day. Not because I didn't like Charlotte, but because my sense of adventure wouldn't allow me to stay. I wrote "The Goals of My Life" back in September of 2007 and included on that list was this:
Go west. “Go west young man.” Or young woman in my case. The west has a call on my heart and I must follow it. My dream is to own land out there with a view of the Rockies in one direction and be able to see for miles in the other. I want horses to ride and I want to be able to see all the stars at night.So, I am going. I want to go. I'm excited to go. But it's so hard to say goodbye. I keep telling people that it's not the being gone that's so hard. I'll get used to it. I'm going to come visit my friends and family regularly and hopefully they'll come visit me. We'll talk on the phone, use Skype, keep in touch in many ways. No, it's not the being gone that's hard, its the leaving. The saying goodbye to almost all the people I love and the places where I've spent my entire life.
So, on December 13th, I leave Lynchburg. On January 1st, I leave Charlotte. It will be time to say goodbye. And as hard as it is, as much as I know I will cry, I am excited. I can't wait to see what the Lord has for me in Montana, overseas and in Seattle. I am looking forward to experiencing this next chapter of my life and the adventure of it all. I can't wait to see those wild Montana skies and meet the people I'll be spending the next 5 months of my life with. I can't wait to grow closer to my Jesus. I can't wait to see what's next.
