On the Road Again Pt. III

Here we go again. It's time to pack up and move on to the next destination. I decided in July of this year (2011) that I would be moving back to Michigan, and that time has finally come.

A trek that will eventually have taken me nearly 5,000 miles, three states, and seven years to complete. From Detroit, Michigan to Phoenix, Arizona, to Orange County, California, and all the way back again. In each case, it was relatively easy to jump ship and try something else due to turmoil with a combination of jobs, bands, relationships, friendships, and family. I was always conscious of the fact that I could possibly be running from my problems, and for a while I was. Maybe I still am. But most importantly, I never denied what I felt in my heart, and I've always accepted the choices that I've made. I shall continue to do so.

I often remind others that "I never wanted to leave Michigan in the first place," but I'm glad that I did for several reasons; I've learned so much about myself, about the different regional cultures that exist in America, about the people that are (or once were) in my life, and most of all, how to appreciate what I have despite the notion of what else might be out there for me. I think that's something that most people can relate to.

Without this experience, I might have one day wondered "what if" I had moved away and started fresh in a place where nobody knew my name. I had the chance and I took it, because let's face it; most people can't just pick up and move hundreds or thousands of miles away and try something else. It takes a huge amount of guts and determination to do so, and even more strength to commit to such a big change. I knew that it would be difficult or maybe even impossible, but whether I lasted a year or a decade, I could one day come back home and know that at least I tried. Looking back on it now, I was never fully convinced that I could totally reinvent myself somewhere else and have a life better than the one that I had- but I never would have known without trying. I'm glad that I did.

Sometimes I wonder when this ride will slow down and stop- but I've known for a long, long time that it never does. While some may see this as disheartening, I see it as the next chapter in the adventure that is life. This is me turning the page.

Confession

I kind of let depression and alcohol take the wheel for a while. For the most part, those days are over. The key to the puzzle is that I must remain confident and positive, which often times contradicts my inner modesty. At the end of the day, I know that as long as I be myself and have good intentions, good things will come to me. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of good people in my life, and without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.