Oh, Claire

This is it. I'm finally leaving.

It's bittersweet to think about. As excited as I am to get on the road, I find myself suddenly wanting to stay just a little longer. This is when I have to remind myself to stick to what I said. Besides, the upcoming adventures of the rest of this week and this weekend are FAR too exciting to even think about ditching out on. Of course I'll be posting updates as I go, but I'm not going to list them up-front. If there's one thing I've learned about plans and adventures, it's this: adventures change plans.

Eau Claire has been such a prominent part of my life for the past seven years that it's difficult to think about leaving it behind. Granted, I moved away in 2011 and have only been back intermittently, but this time it feels different. Each time it felt like I was only away temporarily. This time I have a hunch that the temporal is going to give way to the permanent. In concrete terms, I don't think I'll be coming back this time.

But it's time to close this chapter of my life and write another. Without giving anything away (I have a rather lengthy post-in-progress that I've been chipping away at which explains why I want to leave, but don't know yet if I'll want to publish it), I can only say for certain that it's time leave the past and step forward into the unknown. Who knows; maybe I'll learn to live more in the moment?

Last night I read back through my journal and found myself weeping over past entries as I sat alone on this rooftop. Oddly, though, I found myself encouraged in a way I cannot explain. God is faithful, and He will never leave me. I can't express how much I needed to go back and read my own words saying that.

Time to take a leap off of the precipice.