Into the West.

View of the Flat Irons from my brother's street in Boulder

Big news.  As some of you may know, I've been yearning to move out to Colorado for a few years now, ever since my brother and sister-in-law moved out there, and especially in the last couple of years since they brought Zora, my niece, into the world.

So, if you haven't guessed already, I'm packin' it up and heading out to Colorado!  There are many things I'll be sad to leave behind in Atlanta, but there is so much I'll be moving towards in the glorious mountainous west.  

A note to my wonderful and loyal customers, you can expect a minimum of two months before I'm up and running out there, and then probably another couple of months for me to restock my shelves to a respectable level, so if you don't want to run out, head over to my etsy site and pick up what I've got left before my co-workers buy it all up (they love Sudstress!).  I don't have a place to live yet, no job, and several glitches in the plan already, so I'm prepared for delays.  Rest assured, however, that I will continue to make soap out in Colorado and I'm looking forward to what I suspect will be shorter cure times what with the dry air out there.  *fellow soapers nod their heads* 

I shipped out the last of the wedding favor projects that I had on the books yesterday and will get those pictures up as soon as I can.  Needless to say, the next couple of weeks will be a flurry of activity as I prepare to become a resident of the mile high city.

Though this move is a long time coming, I'm taking a huge, flying leap of faith moving out there with no job or apartment, but I have family, the love of my life (who will be joining me), and a plan to get my MBA at the Leeds School of Business, so it's calculated at least.  Without great risk there can be no great reward, but I think my sentiment is best summed up in the words of my 15 month old niece...  "Ooooooh my".

Thanksgiving Forecast: Mostly Happy With A 20% Chance of Loneliness.

Usually Thanksgiving and Christmas come and go without me feeling sad or lonely.  This year, however, having seen my brother for just one day last week, the sum total of our annual time together, my mom off to Utah and out of cell phone service for a special Thanksgiving and everyone's updates on Facebook surrounding the topic of being home and around family, I feel a certain void.  Granted, I am going to be spending the evening with wonderful people that I don't get to see as often as I'd like, I am still feeling homesick for people, as I have no "back home", really.  My mom lives in Albuquerque, my brother and his wife live in Boston, my boyfriend lives in California with no next visit planned and things feel a little empty.

Don't be mistaken, I have been feeling positive and productive about life in general, it's just that sometimes when things slow down and everyone takes a break for quality time that I made no effort to do myself, it gets quiet and quiet leads to contemplation.  It's really no time for me to be buying a plane ticket, quite honestly, but I'd still jump online to do just that the second I knew when I could see Peter again.  Video chats can only do so much for a person.

Tomorrow, I will be thankful to be around several friends who always make me laugh, in a warm, beautiful home with great food, wine and several rounds of Rock Band.  I will feel happy and fulfilled, and there will also be a part of me that wants so badly to be sharing that with Peter. 

Two years ago, I met up with my mom, brother and sister in law in Boulder, CO for Thanksgiving.  We went hiking and saw the most amazing sky I've ever seen.  It's amazing how things have changed and stayed the same since then.