I am, I think, a slightly different person than the one that rolled out of Colorado nearly three months ago.  How could one not be?  I have a better sense of who I am, of what I want to do, the things I want to pursue, of what I’ll put up with (not much, ha), that sort of thing.  I’m thinking about this, because I’ll be back on old and familiar terrain, but when I think about it, it no longer feels so familiar in my mind.  It is a strange feeling.

How things feel now, it’s like the opposite of what I felt like back in March.  Then, we were leaving home to start a new life in New Orleans.  Now, I feel like I am leaving home to have an extended visit in Colorado.  It’s funny, how quickly the world can mirror on you like that.  How quickly new things become the familiar.  It’s wild how, although we were not able to establish solid roots on this go’round, how emotionally and spiritually entrenched in this place I have already become.  It is home now, in a way, and will be home for good this fall.

I feel so lucky and grateful to have the near future and some common goals that will bring us back here for that permanent chance – I would be a drastic wreck (100 times worse than I feel as it is), were it to be otherwise.  It’s just…in the last couple of days, knowing that we are about to leave again, J and I have very much determined that successfully living here is most absolutely something worth fighting for.  And hell, my glorious mum and I very nearly already have our first New Orleans Christmas planned out, how’s that for a positive outlook, right?  As it is, then, I feel that I can relax a little, get some rest, regroup, and I can’t wait to see my family and my closer friends.

THAT being said, J and I have been running around this week, alternately pulling out our already-planted tentative roots (closing the PO box, and the like), while also continuing explorations of our city and stockpiling the feelings that this place gives us.  Next up, later today, we make rounds to tell some of our people what’s going on, so that they do not wonder when they don’t see us turn up, say, next week, or so.  Tomorrow we load the truck (AGAIN!  During our CO stay, I want to purge more Stuff because I’m sick of hauling all of it across five states and back and then, later, back again, good lawd).  Sunday we hit the road.

This will more than likely be my last entry on New Orleans soil (mud, heh) for now – things are going to be busy and then I’ll be off the grid again until I settle in at our next destination.  I have documented and captured many things in the last couple of days, so therewillbe several more NOLA entries, regardless of my location, before subject matter changes again.  I’ll undoubtedly do some note-jotting and writing while on the road, as well.

So, since I’ll not be on again until next week sometime, I’ll say this now:  New Orleans, see you in the fall.  Colorado, see you Monday.