This Post is for Virginia (Part 2)

Virginia or West Virginia? Amazing regardless.

This space already documented one farewell from Virginia. Now it will document a second.

Virginia Part 2 was a great 2.5 years. I love the Shenandoah Valley. I hope to call the area home again. There are mountains, friendly faces, wide open spaces, family close by and excellent food. I think a part of me will always value this place. It's comforting to know that I can make my home in North America and there are communities of people empathetic to my narrative.

During these 2.5 years, a lot of life happened. I finished my graduate degree. I finally got a real drivers licence. I cultivated professional skills and solidified my professional ambitions. I worked a lot of retail; first as a cashier at a grocery store, then later adding sorting clothes at a local thrift shop to my skill set. I made friends. I joined an excellent congregation. We married off my sister, and later a brother-in-law. I watched as my family transitioned back to the States after 18 years abroad. I road tripped to Ohio (never moving there), and North Carolina (much better). I visited a great friend in Michigan. My partner and I cemented our relationship through engagement, marriage and even celebrated our first anniversary. We watched the USWNT dominate, though still struggling to dominate the equal pay game. I cried after the last Hunger Games film. We road a lot of bike. We discussed what we wanted next and what professional opportunities we should pursue...over and over again.

During the last few months I found myself wondering if I was a lifer, like I've written here before. There are so many things I love about the United States. It's so easy to slide into routines. These are my people by birth. Whatever cultural heritage and ethnic background I hold is tied to the States. This is the place where I have roots and the privilege of working without a visa. Is this where I want to belong?

All our anguished pondering came down to what professional opportunities opened up. And right now, that doesn't include the Shenandoah Valley. For me, it's the opportunity to call a 10th country home (which means resurrecting the blog). For my partner, it's a whole new world.

So again, farewell Virginia. We leave ever so grateful. We leave perhaps regretfully. But like everything else, it's just for now.