Her change of scenery...
will be mine too.
I wish it were all as simple as it sounded...
I'm not officially moving to Florida with Christina. But, I am taking a leave of absence.
How deep do I want to get...
I never knew moving here how in love I'd fall. In fact, I was deeply depressed and miserable for the first year I was here; y'all didn't even know me. Anxiety ridden, I could barely leave my house. Showing up at Run-N-Tri Company for a 5k run was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I was brought into a world that was as crazy as I felt. After a few 5k's and becoming a familiar face, I'll never forget, it was Nina who said, "You should come swim with us." I never swam a day in my life. It was here, at Robinwood Lake where Luke became one of the most important men in my life. He taught me how to swim, how to be brave, how to push myself; Luke quickly became my training partner, mentor...my best friend. His wife Candi and daughter Hannah as special to me as my own family. The next thing I knew I was doing my first triathlon. Soon after, Run-N-Tri was looking for a Marketing Director. A business degree in my back pocket, I applied, interviewed, and the guys welcomed me with loving arms. The next year I was immersed into what is now our brilliant triathlon community. We were still pretty small back then...but rapidly growing. Dean, Kevin, Luke, they became big brothers. Their families, my family. Their friends, my friends.
**Daddy Dean, Business Brother Kevin, and Luke with all the money. Our perfectly dysfunctional RNT family. Ha ha! Throw in our crazy hodge podge of characters...Run-N-Tri should seriously have a reality tv show!**
Run-N-Tri introduced me to a world where being me is okay. In fact, it's amazing. I was lost, confused, scared... I found myself in this world of crazy triathletes. I became the me that I didn't even know was me.
You know when you read someone's Facebook and you're all like, there's no WAY this person is THIS damn happy and life is THIS damn good. Well it was. It has been. IT IS. My last 4+ years in Gulfport, Mississippi have been the happiest years of my life. I have met some of the most amazing beautiful people in the world. I have had more fun than I ever knew existed and experienced more friendship and love than I thought I ever deserved.
So now you might be asking (or screaming), "SO WHY A LEAVE OF ABSENCE!!??" I don't even have an answer AND yet I have all the answers at the same time... Moments of complete clarity and moments of complete confusion. To be honest with you, I have no reason to leave. BUT... I am a transient. Some people need to be still and established and surrounded by people they know and love for everyday for the rest of their lives. But me, I need to be up and around and touching more and more lives... Sit still isn't in my vocabulary. I can't even watch a 2 hour movie! I need to be exploring, and making memories, and going on adventures, and TRI'ing!!...
I am selfish to stay here all content with my life. I need to be spreading INSPIRATION and POSITIVITY and EXCITEMENT and LOVE and POSSIBILITY and CHANGING LIVES!! I have a few little trips coming up and then I'll be on my way to Florida with Chris and the kids. Once everything has settled down, we'll resume our journey for domestic violence awareness and figure out what's next. I have no idea what's going to happen and I love it!
Don't be sad. Be happy. I am! Things are happening. Life is being lived! And I'll be back! Every month and for every Run-N-Tri supported race!!
Florida is but a stepping stone to something even bigger; REACH FOR THE MOON TYPE BIG...