Sand In My Shoes

I don’t know who said that “the first step is always the hardest”, but so far, I don’t think I agree with them.

I don’t know if it was that the situation I was in became unbearable, or that each subsequent step brings me further into the unknown, but it seems like the further I go, the heavier my feet become. This is the point where my friends would make reference to my world renowned appetite, but it is those same friends that have been filling my shoes with sand.

Living secluded in North Dakota for so long I almost forgot what it was like to have people around you that you love and care for. I went from almost complete isolation, making a new escape plan every other week, dreaming of the day I’d be free, to total immersion.

My parents and nephew who have always been an important presence in my life…

My hometown friends that are still family after so much time…

My cousin that is always there to lend an ear and feels more like a sister than a cousin…

My college roommate and his wonderful little family that I have been lucky enough to watch grow and have been lucky enough to become a part of…

My friends in Colorado that I don’t talk to for months or years yet as soon as we see each other it’s as if I never left…

My old and new friends in England who welcomed me without hesitation, brought me into their home and treated me as if I had just always been around…

Each and every one of you have placed a little bit more sand in my shoes, making it harder and harder to continue on this seemingly foolish journey that I have undertaken. Yet I know that you all understand and support me on my adventure, and while I will miss each and every one of you there is an entire world out there that my heart, full with the memories of the last few weeks, is yearning to discover.

I know that when I do decide that it’s time to return home, that you will all be there with a cold glass of Jack Daniels, an eager ear for my tales, and a cozy couch for me to sleep on after a long and crazy adventure.