the art of leaving

gentle exit
Originally uploaded by misslissa13 Art Every Day Month Entry

We are back in Rhode Island for our final week as Rhodies. I say that slightly in jest, since I do not know if I feel at all like a Rhody. Perhaps it is because I have not lived here more than a year, perhaps it is just my stubborn resistance. Whatever it is, I have to say, I feel more Coloradan than Rhody, and more New Yorker than that.

All of the moving I have done, all the places I have lived and all the states I have resided have helped me learn more about myself. My time in Colorado had a profound affect on me. I moved there, not knowing a soul and only having been to the state once, and that was for my interview at Naropa. It was scary and exciting, hard and growth provoking. I loved every difficult moment of the experience, for it forced me out of my comfort zone and into deep self exploration. Much of the time I was also in the throes of a relationship that triggered a lot of self-doubt. On the other end, I would not have changed a thing.

As for leaving RI, I am slightly saddened about leaving; feeling like this experience is not quite done. It is also sparking twinges of missing Colorado. Moving back to New York is also stirring up many layers of emotion. Frustration, excitement, nostalgia, hope, joy of being closer to loved ones, stress of moving, thrill of new beginnings...it goes on. Most layers are positive and I am curious as to what these next few years will bring. Greg studying acupuncture, me studying nutrition, starting my therapy practice, being grounded in a single place for a few years, getting to see the people I love on a regular basis and having new opportunities are just some of the things I am looking forward to.

Change, as always, is happening, outside and within.