My heart is so filled with love!
You really learn a lot about yourself and how much people mean to you when you move to a kingdom far far away. I was on the West coast for 3 months (which is not that long- and I did study abroad so I went 5 months without seeing friends and family before) and I was just so homesick! Which is strange because I don't really have a home over here in the East coast because my parents moved when I was in college so I never lived with them. That old cliche "Home is where the heart is" is so true though! I know I am home whenever I walk off the plane with a giant smile on face and when I am reunited with my best friends at our Alma Mater's Homecoming.
Whenever I made the decision to move to California it was solely for me. I wanted adventure, to find fulfillment in the workplace, and to lead a life that was making the world a better place. I didn't think about how it would effect those around me or what effect it would have on me. I still want fulfillment and to change the world for the better, but I know in order to do that I must be in a place that feels like home. When you are constantly thinking of your loved ones and how you wish you were with them it makes it hard to focus on what you're doing. A solid foundation is key to a happy life so now I know why small towns filled with families that have been there for generations don't want to ever leave.
My partner and I decided to take a break right before I left for California (the post "What Is Love" is about our relationship). We still talked and were very close friends, but I am happy to say that the distance helped us go back to the basics of our relationship and reconnect on a different level. Being away from someone allows to see all of their positive traits and reminds you how much better your life was with them in it. I don't like labels or looking toward the future, but I just want to say that if you truly love someone that love will never go away.
I think it is very therapeutic and good for the soul to take a journey that is very spur of the moment and turns around your whole life. I have always known who I am and what is important to me, but this taught me even more about myself. It taught those closest to me about me too and allowed us to connect on a deeper level.
Simply Live in that you always follow your heart without worrying about others' perception of you because you are the one being effected.
Live Simply in that you appreciate what you have in your life and don't expect or feel that you need a whole lot more. (If you gain more then great! Celebrate as it happens, but don't feel like you continually have to find more in your life.)
Love,
Alyssa
