This past weekend was pretty significant to me because I packed up my little house in the country and moved back to Charlotte (!!!!!). I have been spending the past year in the peace and quiet about an hour outside of the city. A place where Starbucks, Target and Sephoras do not exist, but neither does traffic, crazy crime or all of the negatives that come along with the hustle and bustle of the city.

When I said I was going to move out to the country last year to be closer to work, my friends thought I was crazy. Part of me also thought I was crazy. I am a city girl at heart. But it turns out that move was exactly what I needed at the time. If you read here then you know that this time last year was a bit crazy for me and I was at  somewhat of a crossroads in my life. I was tempted to move back to Virginia at the time, but then realized that adding another big change was probably not what I needed. So I moved down the street from work instead and eliminated the stress of my 60-minute commute. And I’m so glad that I did

Living in a tiny town may not seem appealing if you’re used to the conveniences of a bigger city, but there are a lot of benefits. My drive to work was 3 minutes, everyone was super friendly, I didn’t ever worry about feeling unsafe going places by myself, rent and sushi (the staples of life) were SO cheap and my favorite part of my day was being able to come home on my 30-minute lunch break to play with Lily. Above all else, everything is just so quiet and peaceful, which I think you might not appreciate until you really experience it.

This past year has been cathartic in so many ways. It allowed me to fully heal from getting divorced, to rest and reflect on life, to reconnect with friends, and spend time on my hobbies and things that I enjoy. Prior to this past year, I was laser-focused on an abstract idea of what my life should be like in terms of school, career and my personal life. Having this time to myself gave me a new perspective on this, and I see now that I am a lot happier just living life as I go along and embracing things as they come. And while I did hit a few bumps in the road over the past year, like tearing the tendon in my foot and my car being stolen (in Charlotte), I think I came out on the bright side of everything in the end.

I have appreciated everything this experience has given me, and I have felt for the past few months that I was ready to get back into the city life.

So like the song says, it’s closing time. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. I feel like my move back to Charlotte was officially turning the page on a chapter in my life and I’m ready for the next adventure. I have a feeling it will include good times with friends, new workout adventures, and lots of good food Thanks for following along with me over the past year!