The Milk Carton

I should be heading to bed right now, resting up for a strangely busy day at work tomorrow...but I glanced at the carton of milk in my fridge...and noticed the sell-by date was March 31st. It suddenly hit me...this milk is going to be around longer than I will. I haven't been able to sleep since. For the first time, I'm starting to get sentimental about moving...I've just been sitting here thinking about all the people, places and things I'm going to miss. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about the future, and all the new experiences I have to look forward to...But just for tonight, I'm allowing myself to take a little look back...Alas, one look is all I can afford, since I don't want to dampen my enthusiasm for the coming weeks and months.

As I look around, I realize that I'm really going to miss the place I call home. I've been in this apartment for two years, and it's the first place that's really felt like home since I moved out of my childhood home several years ago. I think two years is the longest I've been in one place since then, and it was enough time to make this place my own. I'm going to really miss coming home after a long day at work, kicking off my shoes and relaxing in a place that truly feels like it's mine (even if I am just renting it). I'm going to miss hearing the train whistle at night. Some people might have found it annoying, but it was just one of those things that I found soothing. I'm going to miss sitting out on my porch on Saturdays and looking out over the trees while sipping on a mug of hot chocolate. I'm going to miss baking in my kitchen, taking a really hot bath in my giant tub, napping on my bed on Sundays with the patio door open...

I'm going to miss the city of Gainesville a little, too...although only a little. I'll miss riding my bike on the Hawthorne trail, walking down Newberry road to go to lunch on sunny days...and that's about it for Gainesville, haha!

I'm going to miss the many friends I've made here in Gainesville, though...especially in the last couple of years. I hope to stay in touch with everyone, and I'm sure I'll be back periodically to visit, since my parents, grandparents and my cousin and her family all live here...

Which brings me to my last point...I'm really going to miss having my parents close by...going to lunch with my Mom, eating dinner with my grandparents, hanging out at my parents' house on Sundays to watch football with Dad and scrapbook with Mom. I've been so blessed to always have my parents nearby when I need them, and it's going to be hard to not be able to see them whenever I want to.

I don't know exactly where I'm headed yet, but I hope that I have the chance to create as many fond memories there as I've had here.