They say that moving can be just as traumatic as a death in the family.

The 12 hour drive was the longest one I’ve made as the sole driver of my vehicle. Five people and three mice stayed in one hotel room the night before we got here. And then the unpacking began. At one point, 8 people in total were helping unload the Uhaul. I am grateful for the help, but it can be very overwhelming to enter a new stage in your life suddenly and to have nowhere to flee for a moment of screaming or weeping or thinking. And to be hundreds of miles away from your female best friend. And to be married to someone who’s busy enjoying the moment when all you can do is see the desolation you’ve caused by moving in the first place.

To be fair to my new home city, Charlottesville is wonderful. There are a lot of thriving local businesses and cool things to do. Rich American history surrounds us, as do the Blue Ridge Mountains. The thrift stores are nice, there are a wide variety of retail stores not available in Tallahassee, and they even have a restaurant dedicated to soup (I love soup).

But it’s hard to pick up and move. And I think it needs to be shared, honestly and without forced happiness. I’m sure I’ll have some happy, hopeful posts, but for now, I need to be honest with myself about my reality, get through the grief, heal, and move forward.