In July of 2005 I moved away from my home state of Michigan. There were a lot of reasons, but if there were a central theme, it would be personal growth on several facets. Part of me wanted to get away, part of me knew that separation and supreme challenge would help me grow into a better man.
Six years later, I'm ready to return home.
When I was younger, I would become easily frustrated with the challenges of life, as well as the challenges of understanding others and how to communicate with them. I thought that isolation would temper my soul and help make me more of a man, and to a degree, it has. Although I have not been completely isolated, being very far from your history will cause you to modify your perceptions of where you belong and who is important to you.
The main lesson that I've learned is that I alone cannot conquer life and get whatever the hell I want. I require the good, strong souls of those around me, because it helps make me who I am. That's partly because I don't feel like myself if I can't do the same in return. Had I cultivated a new existence out West, I could justify staying here. But seeing old friends and family reminds me that my heart never really left Michigan. And I have no shame in saying that nice weather isn't enough to keep me from that.
