Home is Where the Heart Is

When my family moved from the Carolinas to Alabama, I struggled a lot with not calling Montgomery home since I loved my hometown and all the people there so much. After nearly eight years of being here, I've still very rarely called this place home. 

Now, I'm taking another step; one I've chosen for myself. I'm moving to Macon, Georgia where my boyfriend lives. When William and I were talking about our relationship early on, he just  assumed that he would be moving back to Montgomery. We met here four years ago, and his father lives here, but he always seemed to have the same opinion I did about calling Montgomery home. After visiting him in Macon, I fell in love with the city. 

Unlike Montgomery, Macon has a beautiful downtown, made up of more than one single street. There are several universities and colleges around town, so there are a lot of people my age. Every spring, they have a Cherry Blossom Festival with a month full of entertainment, family events, art exhibits, block parties, live bands, and a parade; not to mention all the beautiful cherry trees everywhere. It's really pretty. 

Its strange to me how it feels like Macon has so much more history than Montgomery. I think part of it may be that most people in Montgomery are trying to forget about its history, or they're just shoving it all into this one block of houses just outside downtown called "Old Alabama Town." Macon has preserved so much of its history with its old homes, Native American sites, and museums. 

So, I love the city, but I also love William's family. Since he moved to Macon a little over a year ago, William has been living with his grandmother and his mother in a neighborhood that reminds me a lot of the one I grew up in in South Carolina. The neighborhood is quiet, but not too quiet; the neighbors know each other and aren't afraid to ask favors of each other. This is where William's mother grew up, and now where she and her three children have come back to. William has a twin brother, David who is engaged, and an older sister, Courtney, who works at the Methodist Children's Home. They are all enthusiastic about the things they do, and they value their family above anything. Something I admire about them is the way William and his siblings share everything with their mother. They respect her opinions and advice, and she respects theirs. I guess I've failed to see my parents as friends; my family has never been very open in conversation. We never talked about relationships, thoughts or things deeper than dinner conversation over how our day was. I admire that relationship William has and I hope I'll have it some day with my own children.

I'm officially moving to Macon on July 8th. I don't have a job yet, but I'm praying that God will open doors for me. I found a cute little apartment, and I am very excited about living on my own. 

 It's an old house that is now five apartments. Mine is on the first floor, with huge windows. The ceiling must be like twelve feet. It's really simple, but it has a lot of charm.

On the left is the kitchen. Small, yes, but still bigger than the one in my first apartment. The bedroom is a nice size, with two huge windows and a nice sized closet.

I'm really excited about moving in and making it feel like home.

This is my pile of stuff, still sitting at Jordan's house. I've been living without it for six months now, so I'm hoping to do a little purging after I move. I have one big tub of artwork and pictures that I don't have enough wall space for, plus  dresser full of clothes I haven't been wearing for six months. 

All of this will be moving to Georgia the week after I move, thanks to my lovely parents who are generously giving their weekend to haul my crap and move me in. :) 

So, Macon becomes home in July. I'll post pictures when I settle into my apartment. Prayers for a good job are definitely appreciated. :)