Chapter 8 – Everything in-between

You know, I initially wanted to call this chapter:

“Everything in Between: Alabama, Alabama, a spoonful of Minnesota, a sprinkle of Texas, and an indefinite amount of Georgia.” 

Mostly, I thought this was an accurate synopsis of the current state of my being – I am all of the places I have lived. I also thought this title would tie together both ends of “Wander.” But then I realized it was just too long. So, I shortened it.

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When I first left Minnesota, I thought I would be coming back. In fact, before graduating from TCU, I was all set to move to Iowa to attend graduate school. But then along came Alabama….and I suppose this is where they say, “the rest is history.” 

But what if,

instead of,

“the rest is history,” 

it’s, 

the rest is everything in-between, WE are the everything in-between?

I am a Minnesota gal by way of family roots and a Southern gal by way of individual spirit and adventure. I am shaped by the people I have met and the opportunities I was granted. Yes, I think we really and truly are products of these in-between moments, but it’s only when we get to where we are headed that we remember where we came from.

Especially when that means you have been a state-hopping fiend in the middle of it all. 

So, to all the friends and family in between, thank you for all you have done for me over the years. Because as much as I am the in-between, you all are the reasons for this in-between. You are the places, the ideas, the strength I can draw on amidst my mountain escapades and beach liberations. 

And thank you to myself – and you – because being an adult, a human, means we get to experience and heal from heartbreak. We get to pick ourselves back up and see the world. We get to decide what type of person we want to be.

And it’s okay if that ultimately means starting over. 

Being a human means we get to live the ferocious, joyous highs and the sad, lonely lows. 

And to the actual things, memories, experiences, and places in-between – thank you for always being a wondrous adventure. For opening doors. For revealing the marvel of everyday adventures. For opening my eyes to the lucky pennies lying all around. For teaching me about myself, growth, others, hardships, journeys. For showing me life is more than the whim of an idea we jotted down one day in seventh-grade health class because we were told: “we need to have a plan.” For being there and seeing me through. For reminding me that somehow, someway, it all gets better, that patience is key. 

Never take the everything in-between for granted.

These are the memories, the stories, the ideas that thread the everyday of life. They propel you, push you, define you. They are you. They are yours. Hold onto them dearly and never let go.