endings and beginnings
The blog incubator has been empty for the past few weeks, partly because my brain is at capacity in other regards and I don't have the free CPUs to even begin to formulate much in the creative (i.e., blog) department. Work has been crazy and my life has been full of changes and distractions, namely endings and beginnings.
Our lives in Vancouver, at least for the next year, are coming to an end. We've made the decision to move to San Francisco at the end of October so that Kevin can make the most of the opportunities available to him in Silicon Valley. Kevin calls it the geek equivalent of Hollywood (substitute geeks for actors and code for scripts) - it's the place to be if you're a programmer with entrepreneurial tendencies. In my preferred terminology, Kevin has found his niche - the place where the conditions are such that he can thrive and flourish. And, seeing as he gave up his job and moved here five years ago solely because I wanted to pursue a graduate degree at SFU, it's my turn to uproot and go along for the ride. A new beginning.
Kevin has been living in San Francisco for the summer, and we've both had enough of the long distance. I've concluded that the saying "home is where the heart is" is entirely true. Without Kevin here, our apartment in Vancouver is not a home. Since Kevin left, I've had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I have diagnosed, based on my terrible experience at summer camp, as homesickness. My home is in San Francisco right now. Kevin moved into it yesterday. I'm really looking forward to being home again.
I've been granted a one year leave of absence from work given that my spouse has relocated for work. Another ending. And a chance for a new beginning. Although I have the option of returning to work after the year is up, I've been unable to provide any guarantees. I like my job and the people I work with, but I really have no clue what the future holds. My move to San Francisco comes with the opportunity to evaluate the direction of my career and what the next phase holds for us.
The next phase. The next chapter. Full of excitement and fear. Like our move from Montreal to Vancouver, there are butterflies flittering in my stomach at the prospect of such a big change. The butterflies would be unbearable but for one thing: we're doing it together. When I think about being in San Francisco with my husband*, the butterflies settle down. They're still there, but they don't beat their wings quite so fast.
* Yes, despite all the reasons I had for not getting married , we tied the knot. A small, simple, intimate ceremony on Third Beach in the rain. Very Vancouver. I will assure you that, despite the romantic elements of our wedding, rationality was a driving force. So maybe, it doesn't have to be rational versus romantic. Perhaps the rational is the cake, providing the foundation for a sweet layer of romantic icing. In that case, I can have my cake and eat it too :)
