Six months ago, my family and I arrived in Ada, Oklahoma. We had packed all our bags, loaded all our furniture, and cleaned our house within an inch of its life. We had said goodbye to people that we love very much, who sent us off with beautiful words and hugs. We had spent a last weekend in lower Michigan, being with our extended family and having a last bit of normalcy. We had struggled through very, very long days of driving to get to Oklahoma, and even picked up a new car in OKC. Then we got to Ada, and it felt like this crazy newness that I would never be used to.
Now, somehow, we have been here for six months! I can’t get over that. It’s been six months since I’ve seen my best friend and said goodbye to people who have known me since I was four. Since getting here, I’ve earned my learner’s permit, gotten through my first semester of junior year, and even found a place in Oklahoma’s All-State high school choir. I’ve fallen deeper into Obsessive Compulsive Disorder than I ever thought I would, and I’ve started my journey to free myself again. I can’t believe everything that has happened, and yet, I still feel like it was yesterday that I was at school and church in Escanaba, surrounded by my friends, feeling so safe and appreciated. I hope that I can always keep that vision of my life until now in my heart, because it’s such a huge part of who I am. And as I keep chugging along with my family here in Ada, I’m always thinking about the people and places I love, at home in Michigan.
Just to be even more sentimental, I want to add some pictures of our last days in Michigan, our drive to Oklahoma, and our recent life here. These are all over the place, but I love them!
Man, I love those photos. This digital age is a huge gift in a lot of ways. If you made it this far: thanks a ton, and I really appreciate anybody who reads this blog at all. I want it to be a little more “me”, and this is a great place to start. 😘