One Week From Today

... I will be half of the way to BGSU.

Simple as that.  

If only!

Ahhh. It is 9:45pm Sunday. In exactly one week, my family and I are going to be spending the night in some random Holiday Inn Express in West Virginia. I always like Holiday Inn Expresses because they have good coffee and Cinnimon Rolls at breakfast. Plus they don't use comforters but use blankets instead. For some reason that just feels less gross to me. Anyway. My Mom and I will probably be watching TLC or Bravo, enjoying TV we can't get at home, while my Dad sleeps still dressed in his clothes from the day. And that my friends is the scariest part of going to graduate school. No not surviving West Virginian hotels but the idea that this is pretty much the last time I will "leave home" and that home will be my parents' house. 

You see, Chase and I will live in Iowa once we both graduate, and so... as of next Sunday... I won't really live in J'Vegas anymore.  Don't get me wrong. I really feel like God is leading us down that path and I have this awesome peace and excitement about moving to DSM eventually- especially to become a McCool... but that means I have to leave my Mommy and Daddy. Yes. At 23 I still call them Mommy and Daddy. Not ashamed. I am so very close to my parents and for the first summer in my life my mom and I aren't fighting. Thats a whole other story- lets just summarize by saying my mom and I didn't always know how to communicate- but we've both worked really hard and now its working. She's a lot of fun and I really enjoy having a Mom that wants to be involved in my life, but still lets me be my own person. It is a great place for us to finally arrive at together. 

But there's also my Daddy. Whew my Daddy. I am the epitome of a Daddy's girl. My Dad and I have always gotten along, always enjoyed being together and I know he loves me so much.  He is an awesome man both to me and my mom. He is a great model of what a Godly man should be. As I get older we get more and more alike. We think alike. We have the same sense of humor. Hopefully I am as creative as him. And I am proud to claim I have his gift for gift giving. My whole life he has shown me how a man treats his family and how to love others. And his daily influence has a big impact on my relationship with Chase because Chase does so many of the things my Daddy does. I remember being at his retirement and all of those men and women were so honored to have worked with my Dad. My Dad. I was and am so proud. 

So in the Bible women left their father's house and joined their husband's. So many women would see this as a loss of freedom and patronizing. That the world thinks they can't make it on their own. But I've been in the world- maybe not totally on my own- I've made my choices and mistakes. I really love the fact though that I have a wonderful family that has prepared me to go into the real world. Equipped me to be on my own and to make it.  My parents- if anything- made it very clear that I am my own women and that I shouldn't settle or compromise when deciding if and when I want to be in a relationship. They've even let me be in an icky relationship or two. I'm grateful. It is how I know now that I am walking down the right path. They taught me by example to follow God's will even when it seems risky

So here I go really on to Chapter Two. Graduate School and Love and new friends and new places. But I'm not really that worried. My parents have made me feel confident to do it on my own but I'm also confident that they would help me if I genuinely needed it. I am glad that I am a person who can say that.   So I'm not worried, but nervous? Sure. Excited? Very.

This week is the countdown. I am going through all of my things. Packing them up and organizing them. Not just to take to Ohio but to have in storage until I move to DSM.  Until I move to Iowa. Wow. This is all really happening. It is exciting. I have a feeling I'll need to re-read this blog a month or two from now when I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew. After I get back a grade that is less than stellar or just feel like I might freeze in the snow. Eh. The Snow.

But then again- who knows... maybe I'll like snow. I mean I like sweaters and cool coats- need cold weather to wear them right? Yeah. I'll keep telling myself that... and that I can do this.