Ode to my Home State

I don't think it's a secret to anyone who knows me that I have always been, and will always be, a Wisconsin girl.  My friends and family are up in Wisconsin (or Minneapolis, but that's pretty much the same thing minus their crappy football team), I am totally a beer, cheese, and football kind of girl, and I can even say I don't mind the winters that much.

When I left the Midwest four years ago to move to Nashville, I really didn't believe I'd ever go back north.  Maybe to the Twin Cities, but certainly not to Wisconsin.  I have always loved my home state but I didn't know if I would ever want to live there again.

I was wrong.

In the last year and a half, I have grown increasingly homesick.  Not in the I can't wait to visit sort of way but more of the I wish I never had to leave way.  My trips back have become more frequent and much longer than in the past.  I've started reconnecting with some of the people I used to be friends with and started keeping an eye out for the right job that could bring me home.

The thing is that I truly love my life in Kentucky.  I love my job most days, have an excellent apartment even if I've only lived there for a few months, have amazing friends even if it took me a while to find them, and almost appreciate horse racing and basketball even if I'll never get into drinking bourbon.  I knew I wouldn't leave for just anything.  Kentucky could easily have become home to me.

For a wide variety of reasons - my family, my best friends, and yes of course my boyfriend even if he wouldn't want to read that - I decided a few months ago to get serious about this whole moving back to Wisconsin thing.

Suddenly the time felt right to get it over with.  To leave this place that I've come to love and to build my life in a place that is so amazingly familiar and supportive and wonderful to me.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks to say the least because, all of a sudden, everything came together quickly.

Two weeks ago, I still didn't think I'd be leaving for another couple of months at least.  And then, in less than 24 hours, I found a sub-leaser for my apartment.  Once that was done, I decided to give my notice at work because I had a few things in the works up in Wisconsin and figured I could get a serving job to get by until I found something full-time.  And then I was offered an awesome job - in my field, doing something I love, for a company that I think will be amazing to work for.

All of that is to say, I'm moving back.  I will officially be home by Thanksgiving.

Some of you are probably thinking that all came in the wrong order - give up my apartment, quit my job, then get a new one - but honestly, everything about it was perfect.  I simply had to trust that it would work out. I wasn't wrong.

I'm so sad to be leaving my friends here and will miss everyone dreadfully.  At the same time, I am so incredibly excited for what lies ahead.  Wish me luck!