we're safe.

(i took these photos on my run today)

hi!

after a beautiful weekend with all the people i love SO much, i feel really warm and safe inside.  

my sweet sweet friend laura threw the BEST going away party for patrick and i, and our friends and family.  it was absolutely perfect- amazing music, comforting delicious food, dancing, lots of dogs, and of course our beautiful collection of friends we've found over the past 5 years all together.  i was sad to see the night end, but at the same time, i feel so blessed to be totally encompassed by love.

it's hard to leave a good thing, that's for sure.  but with a little encouragement from those i love i feel brave enough to simply trust that the universe will lead me to more incredible people.  there's no shortage of people out there worth loving and being loved by.

we just have to trust.  all of life is a series of chances we decide are on our side.  i believe this big chance patrick and liam and i are taking is a worthy gamble, and only more good things can come from it.  love is waiting for us on the other coast, i know.  and we're not losing the love we have here either, it's always in our hearts and in our memories.  plus i'm sure we will have lots of visitors :) !

though love never runs out, i still have a hard time letting go of these moments.  i'm a glutton for comfort and ease. i cry sometimes when things end, and i almost want to die or melt into moments like the party this weekend, and never leave.  

but that's not really living, right?  living is leaping, risking, hoping, believing.  the universe is holding us here, just where we're supposed to be.  and we really are safe, flowing between times of comfort and times of change.

our friend jeff was telling us the other night that we're throwing some extra pepper in our lives over the next few months and years.  it's gonna be more flavorful and spicy, but it's harder to eat and not what we're used to.  

i always come back to this realization, and i guess we just keep learning and relearning it our lives long.  happiness comes from doing what we don't want to do, by doing what's difficult.  

this is our last full week in collinsville.  i'm cherishing every moment.  we are going to start packing over the next couple days.  

though i'm going to miss my friends and family SO badly, i feel really good knowing i'm going out there with my 2 very best friends- liam and patrick.  with them i feel like nothing bad can touch me.  how can we go wrong?

i'm going to be blogging and posting as much as i can this week, and i'll be writing while on the road next week!  i feel really lucky i can share our journey here on my blog.  it kinda feels like i can take you all with me.  

thank you for sharing in my thoughts and for walking together where our paths have crossed.  i love you.