feels like home

So, today I got on the plane at 11:40 Eastern Standard Time, and arrived in Denver at 1:45 Mountain Time (in case you were wondering, it is a 2 hour time difference between NC & CO), and as soon as I walked off the airplane into the airport I sensed a rush of pure giddiness run through my body. I felt like I was smiling to myself, which can be odd for bystanders, but it really didn't matter that much today. I cannot entirely express how wonderful it feels to be here, but I can just say that it feels great.

I am finally here. I've been waiting for this day since I booked my flight back in March, and now I am thankfully safe and sound at home in Edwards, Colorado. It feels so wonderful to be here. You know when you go home after having been gone for a while and it feels like you're right back where you belong, like no time passed and nothing ever changed? That's what it feels like to be here in Edwards. I can just go right back into conversation with my cousins without any awkwardness. It feels so good, so perfect, so right. When I was at LeaderShape a month ago, we did an exercise where we created a "map" inside the room and placed ourselves on the maps at Home. Obviously Cary is where I live and where I've lived for the past 13 years, but Edwards feels like home. Edwards, Colorado is truly where my heart is, and I would move here in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity or the feasibility. [p.s. if you're wondering where Edwards is, here's a map. Essentially, it's two hours west of Denver and about
15 minutes outside of Vail.
View Larger Map

I start work at the Smiling Moose Deli on Wednesday, so tomorrow I'm planning to grab breakfast at the deli and then explore Edwards for the rest of my day. I won't be exploring anywhere new at all, but I'll just be settling into this place that feels so much like home.

"Home, back home
Where the memories all have gathered up and
Slowly turned to gold
And I carry them along with me wherever
I may go
And I feel fine, so fine
In knowin' that this road I'm wanderin' on
From time to time always leads me home,
back home"
- Tim McGraw