In a few short days, you will be, quite literally, in my rearview mirror. My car and I will be on a steady course north and east with Boston as the final destination. Change brings the opportunity for reflection, which often leads to a greater appreciation for experiences and it is with this gratitude that I write this parting note.
I landed on your soil five years ago next month-- two suitcases, $75 to my name, and a crisp, clean bachelor's degree in a subject some might consider useless. While I was born in Austin and lived there until I was three, you were foreign to me. I had no direction and no plan. What I did have was a kind and generous extended family willing to take in broke college grad until I figured something out. This is just the first example of many where people within your borders demonstrated the depth of goodness humanity can posses.
You were kind enough, Texas, to provide me with an opportunity to start part time work soon after I arrived. This gave me a small boost in confidence along with a meager income. Then one day, while on a hot and sweaty bike ride, I rode past a school across from a field full of cows. I'd been thinking about working in education, but the chance hadn't presented itself until that moment. That bike ride, and the subsequent events, shaped much of my time here. I got hired part-time, then full-time. I had the chance to use that impractical B.A. in French and teach teenagers la langue de l'amour. There were triumphs and utter failures. There was laugher and there were tears. There were challenges I didn't even know were possible. There were opportunities to travel all over the world and see new places and cultures. But once again, it was the people that really stole the show and stole my heart. My work family and my students showed me kindness that can not be repaid. I hope the bonds we formed will prevail across (many) state lines.
Thank you, Texas, for giving me the chance to explore a new place. Austin, Big Bend, DFW, Denton, Wichita Falls, east Texas, west Texas... These are all places I had the opportunity to discover while living here and exploration in any form is greatly appreciated. You've also been a great springboard to travel to other states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Your summer weather? Let's just be honest-- I probably won't miss it. But the bluebonnets in spring? Being able to run outside almost all year long? The almost nonexistent security lines at the DFW airport? Definitely.
While I am ready and excited to start the next chapter, the prospect of turning the page induces fear and anxiety. But thanks to you, Texas, I know that I can move to a new place and make it. You have made me a better person and I can only hope I leave a small, positive mark in you, as well.
Much love,
K
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| Big Bend National Park, Dec 2015
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau
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