Moving is the New Stay-Where-You-Are-With-All-the-People-You-Enjoy

Leaving Wilmington was easy. Shockingly easy. Now, I've moved plenty of times before—Long Island to Kernersville, Kernersville to Winston Salem, Winston to High Point, Raleigh to Wilmington—and after each new town, I lost friends. Some were the type of people I'd consider having in my wedding, especially in Raleigh. Gone they were, with the packing of a truck and several hours on I-40. Sure, I've seen some since leaving each city, but not often enough to still be real friends. It's subtle, but you make a choice as to whether or not you'll make time for former friends, no matter how close you were. And I knew that. Knew that after a certain move, you just wouldn't be part of someone's life anymore, and they wouldn't be in yours either.

But Wilmington is different. Or I guess, was. I've picked up a couple of expensive habits (comics, tattoos, girlfriend...not in order of importance!), done some amazing things (Alaska, White Trash Bash), and finally graduated college (in only 5.25 years!). But those things wouldn't matter without the people involved. From dressing like Wolverine on a hot day in May to slicing bagels at 6:30 in the morning, climbing a frozen waterfall to getting burnt within an inch of cancer at the beach, I've never felt more confident in the relationships I've forged than during my three years in Wilmington. The people I worked with, lived with, workshopped with, drank-too-much-and-stumbled-home with, every one of them made an impact. For the first time, I'm not worried about losing friends. Dynamics will change, sure. That's expected. We're like the Rebellion in Return of the Jedi: One group is on Endor with the infuriating Ewoks, another is fighting a fleet of Star Destroyers and the poorly-thought-out Death Star II (bigger does not equal better, Empire), and one more is fighting two Dark Lords of the Sith. But you know what? We've got a giant party at the Ewok village to look forward to. We'll get back together.  Each of us will make it, in our own way. But we'll all still have each others' backs. Because of that, I'm not so apprehensive about being in New York, in the house I kind of grew up in. Things will be tough. But I've got Admiral Ackbar, Han, Leia, Chewie and the droids watching my back. That's all I need. Well, that and the Force. And a lightsaber. Preferably green. (But I won't say no to blue if that's all you've got.)

All right. I had to get the serious thing out of my system. No promises I won't rant, cry, mope, or be angsty from here on out, but I'll do my best (that's what she said).