I Got Great News Yesterday!

the view out my back door at 7 a.m.

Two years ago, I learned that we would be moving to Georgia. While I was excited for a new adventure, I was sad, too. We had developed a life in Colorado -- a life I loved. I had friends there. I was comfortable there. I knew all about my city. We'd lived there for five years. That's a long time to be in one place when you're an Army family!

It was a sad day when moving day arrived. Many a tear was shed.

I spilled enough tears over the following three months to fill a kiddie pool.

I stayed in a perpetual state of sadness.

I wasn't making new friends here. People weren't as warm and open as they were in Colorado.

It was a very difficult time for me.

Every phone call to a Colorado friend would inevitably include the following sentence:

"I hate Georgia."

I hated everything about it, too.

The humidity.
The wimpy winter.
The way people talk.
The lack of the stores I wanted to shop at.
The bugs.

Ever since we got here, we've been trying to leave here. We planned for Army Man to reenlist and get Germany put in his contract, so that we could move. We set our sights on the day that would happen.

That day arrived. Army Man went to the reenlistment people.

They told him no. No, we couldn't move to Germany. No, the Army needed him in Georgia.

It was another very sad day.

But it sort of brought me some closure. I knew we were stuck here, so it was time to make the most of it.

And something amazing happened.

I gained a peace about living here that I thought I'd never experience.

I was finally okay calling this place home.

I had fought it for 17 months. But finally, it was okay. I was home.

Now, I'll never be able to say that I'll miss this place once we're gone, but I no longer feel bitter animosity towards it, either.

Funny thing happened after that. The very next day, as a matter of fact.

The Army told my husband we could go to Germany.

That's right! We're going to Grafenwoehr, Germany next September!

So I learned my lesson. Let go of the resentment and embrace the change. Be okay where you are. Only then can you move on.

Germany, here I come...