M is for MOXIE.

//via.//

Three years.

Three. More than 1000 days...

How?

This place has officially--as of today, June 1--been "home" for three years--longer than any other home base I've had since college. I made the move to Nashville for a few reasons--mostly for ST and our relationship, but largely because I was satiating a nagging itch for a change of pace. New surroundings. A fresh routine. And bit-by-bit, I found it all... but mostly, I expanded my family and I found a home.

Life as a resident of Nashville kickstarted with a job I appreciated, residing in a trendy-esque zip code, and finally experiencing day-to-day--the good, bad and ugly--with my guy. My familiar comforts of a few decades at home virtually dissolved overnight--the fact of the matter is, I committed to little to no mental prep about all I was leaving in Texas... my hometown, my network of family and friends, my beloved job. I felt my move date imminently creeping up as I packed box after box and rattled off my tearful goodbyes, but looking back, I vaguely sensed an eleventh-hour minor panic about making new, good friends, about fitting in. Mind you, my prototypical ESFJ self had never really let me down in the avenue of melding right into most groups I was ever dropped into, and yet, as the first few weeks of Nashville life rolled by, I desperately missed the company of my Texas girlfriends and felt the gnaw of their absence in my life. Aside from a few Twitter contacts (some of whom have since become some of my best friends), I had absolutely no one to lean on aside from ST.

But as it happened, most of these distant Twitter girls had also recently transplanted to Nashville: we were all braving the gray, murky water in the same proverbial boat.

And brave it, we did, wholeheartedly diving onto the pathway together, one happy hour and TV night at a time. As I did my part to foster these friendships, I eased into what I now think of as my grown-up self (if I can be so bold). ST and I immersed ourselves in a church we love, and I joined the junior league. I (somewhat impulsively) became a nanny to fill my scant spare time, and ST and I carefully honed our own routines of menial tasks like grocery shopping and exploring new dinner haunts.The weeks became months, I was confident in not summoning my GPS app on a daily basis, and suddenly? I had my grocery store, and my dry cleaners, and my dog groomer, and this? This was home.

As infectiously charming as Nashville has been for me, the people are truly what have done it for me. They're family. ST, especially... who knew sharing a home could deepen and season a relationship, right? ;) In all seriousness, he has been so tremendously supportive and encouraging of every single thing that I do and I couldn't for one second imagine trotting down this trail without him.

I'm actually home in Texas this weekend for a wedding, a graduation and a camping trip (yes, I know). Last night at the wedding, a good friend began with, "so... are you feeling it? Nashville lifer?" And without hesitation, I felt the smile spread across my face as I nodded slightly and said, "you know... I think so."

There are absolutely some elements of Texas that will unequivocally never be able to be replicated elsewhere for me... but all things considered? I daresay I've found my way home.