The Humility of Moving "Home"

Is it real? Am I dreaming? Did we really just pack up everything, quit our jobs, quit school and move to North Louisiana?
I keep thinking we are on spring break and we are going back to Indiana in a few days, but we're not.

I'm walking down the street with my sister-in-law and she's helping me process this decision we've made.  I can't stop staring at the azalea bushes- they look like they've grown to be over 50 years old.  They have that old south plantation look- wild and wise- so bright and beautiful- framed with old pine trees and nestled  in front yards of gorgeous old houses.  We walk by magnolia trees and I see their seeds on the ground, reminding me of mango seeds that littered the dirt roads of Niger and Haiti. 

It's amazing how quickly life can change.

We needed to leave the South to know that it's where we wanted to be for now.  Fears of "giving up" or deciding to "stop the adventure" rang in my mind for a while, but moving here only means that a new adventure has started in a different way.
 
 Since we've been here, I have found a job doing exactly what I want to do- cooking at a homeless shelter and teaching clients in the shelter how to cook with me.  We have found a potential place to live in our favorite part of town, and we have felt nourished by the presence of family and old friends.  It doesn't seem like a coincidence that we have been provided for instantly in these ways- it makes perfect sense.
 Spring is in full force here, and I have worn shorts every day since we've been back...

A few things that I learned from Indy/The Midwest
-Composting and Gardening--now that we know how, we can do this anywhere we live
-An appreciation for the infinate types of craft beer
-If you make clam chowder correctly, it actually is really good
-My definition of "winter" has changed drastically
-Basements are a normal part of houses in many places that are above sea level (this still blows my mind)