Indiana or Bust!

Welp, I got news. Most of you reading this already know, but I've accepted a job as the Editorial Director of Sunrise Greetings in Bloomington, Indiana. They are a subsidiary of Hallmark (my former employer) so I think that gave me quite an edge as a candidate. I leave Branson on Monday 10/5 (my friend Royal's birthday...must send card, don't forget). I'm looking forward to the new adventure. I love starting over. It gives me an overwhelming sense of clarity and forgiveness, like the beginning of a brand new school year. That was my favorite time of year when I was school-aged. New classes, new teachers, a clean slate. Plus, all those brand new packets of crisp, loose leaf paper...I mean, c'mon. I dare anyone not to derive secret glee from such a small delight. I am not nervous about my new job or my new city. I'm not nervous about finding my way around or making friends. I'm only nervous about the physical move, finishing packing and then unpacking my stuff, all the decisions about where to put things and then getting rid of all those boxes, Christ, if I never had to pack/unpack a house again, I'd be in heaven. Also, I'm not so much nervous but sad for Lola and the loss of her doggy door and back yard. I know she will adapt, but she loves her yard so much, I hate taking it away from her. She takes all her toys outside and leaves them under her tree. She suns in the grass in the middle of the afternoon, patrols the fence line and barks at critters. AND, most helpfully, when she has to do her business at 5am or some other ungodly hour, she lets herself out and back in. I'm not looking forward to the leash, not because I'm afraid of exercise, that part I'm excited about. I think we'll both get more. I hate being responsible for another creature's bodily functions. She takes forever to pick out a spot to poop, and it's infuriating (especially if I'm late for work, or it's raining/snowing/freezing cold). All that aside, I think our new life will be wonderful. I have a roomy 2 bedroom apartment at a beautiful complex with 58 acres of trails and streams and ponds and parks. They even have a fenced dog park ON the property, so I can take Lola there to run around and play fetch without a leash. I'm hoping to update this blasted thing more often. I failed my self-imposed "write every day" assignment, but perhaps I'll pick it up again once the relocation is complete. I am terrible at goodbyes, and I can't even process the sadness I feel about leaving my family and friends in Branson. I know I need to feel it at some point, but when I do, I cry. And I don't have time to cry. Plus, I feel very uncomfortable crying in front of people. It's all I can do to choke it back and keep packing. Speaking of which...back to work.