I’m ready for March

For some reason I have always picked that month to look forward to.  In college, I kept counting down the days thinking If I can just make it until March, then my semester is home-free.  I guess it’s a good marker for the season too (at least in SC).  March is when the weather gets warmer, the days get longer, and the air smells sweeter. 

This year, I’m excited for those things, but I’m also anticipating March in a way that I haven’t ever before.  Our original plan was to move to California after Washington.  It turns out that it made more sense for us to return to SC after Washington instead of staying out west for another 3-4 months.  That being said, we are moving back at the end of March!

I have loved this adventure.  It’s really opened my eyes to a lot of my flaws and insecurities as well as helped me figure out important lessons and realize how unbelievably blessed I am.  I would not trade this for the world.  It has been invaluable to me.  However.  I’m ready for March. 

I’m ready because I miss having a set routine (I thrive on schedules).  I miss counseling and seeing growth and healing in my clients.  I miss having a regular social life and being around people who know, understand, and even love the ins and outs of Courtney.  I miss our house and all the colorful rooms, an oven that doesn’t burn food every time it’s used, a microwave that heats in less than 2 minutes, a regular-sized fridge and washing machine, a toilet that doesn’t sound like a jet plane taking off, a shower with normal water pressure, etc.  I miss my dog and his obnoxious- but adorable- need for attention.  I miss seeing the sunshine on a regular basis (where fog, clouds, and rain are in minority) and trees that don’t make it look like Christmastime year-round.  I miss feeling like I belong to an area, knowing how to get from point A to point B without a GPS, and knowing that when I wave at a stranger, they will in fact wave back.  I just miss it.

I think it would be a different story if we were putting down roots in Dallas or Seattle long-term.  I would have made more of an effort to get a job or to truly immerse myself in the culture and area.  Knowing that we were only planning on being in these places for a few months at a time, though, gave me a little sense of what being a TCK (Third Culture Kid- military brat, missionary kid, any child raised in a culture that is different from their own or that of their parents’) felt like.  I distanced myself unintentionally, because I knew it wasn’t a permanent placement.  (My counseling professor would have said I am being self-protective.  And I am.)

While the experiences and lessons are great, it’s honestly been a little lonely.  And while I don’t want to wish these months away, because I know they also hold invaluable lessons, I still can’t wait to see March.  We are only here for another 10 weeks.  I want to make sure that I don’t squander this opportunity, because I’m lonely or out-of-place.  It’s probably going to be a challenge, because who likes that feeling?  And there are probably going to be more cases of self-protection, but it’s doable.  Because I have experienced the fun parts and hard parts of moving, it will make pulling onto I-26 that much more delightful.  So, March, I’m waiting for ya!