It feels like home to me...

I laugh when I look back at posts from earlier in 2007 that bemoan the lack of change in my life. First, there was the job. It's still going well, by the way. Elaine returned from maternity leave today. Kristin's coming back for a visit tomorrow over lunch, and Lindsey, our intern from last summer, has taken over my old job. We laugh at this chain of dependency we've created around here. Lindsey is somewhat dependent on me as she gets acquainted with the position, I still rely on Elaine's expertise quite a bit, and Elaine's been known to contact Kristin up in Minneapolis when she's stumped.

I talked to Leslie (Long) Anderson a week or so ago, for the first time in ages. With the move on the horizon, and with Nancy soon going off to college, I'd been feeling nostalgic for my freshman year at Mount Mercy, where happenstance placed me in a Regina room with my first-ever roommate, Leslie. So I decided to call her and catch up. She's pregnant again, in a new house with a bat on the loose. And I told her about my life and my move and my drama and she said to me, "You live such an exciting life." That really struck me. My first thought was, "then why am I not excited about it?", but I kept that to myself and just agreed with her. "Yeah, it's pretty crazy." She went on: "You just have so much freedom, and here I sit with a monkey on my shoulder." "Yes, but it's a cute monkey," I said, referring to almost-two-year-old Nolan, my baby friend with the biggest smile.

Something about our conversation has stuck with me. I think it's the "grass is always greener" syndrome. Here I am, often discontent with this transient time of my life. I get overwhelmed with all of the options in front of me, frustrated with the lack of permanence in my life. I'm usually far from "excited" about Life in General. And here my friend, who has the responsibility of a family and is settled into a lovely life like the one I too often long for, is the one to remind me of the freedom and opportunity that this chapter holds.

Since talking to Leslie, and finishing the book Twentysomething by Margaret Feinberg, I'm allowing God to slowly shift my perspective. He's been trying to for ages, but now I'm at a point of wanting the change, of wanting to be excited about where He has me now instead of longing for a vague day in the future at which my "real life" will commence. My real life is now. And I think I'm excited about it. This chapter is meant to be appreciated, not begrudged. It won't last forever, and although that's a good thing, I need to make the most of it while it does last.

This weekend I moved into a house with Beth and Charlotte. It's so great to live in a house again (this is the first time- not counting summers- since 2000). I've been blessed by all the help we've had getting settled in. A crapload of guys from church came to help move furniture on Sunday, Matt(hew) and Handy Randy (as I now call him) came Monday night in the midst of an almost-tornado to get more furniture together and electronics set up, and the other girls have been in and out, helping make beds, arrange the kitchen, and even mow the lawn. I have a cute little yellow room, cable TV (for the first time in years), and, most importantly, a great family of friends to share this chapter with. It feels like home to me.