Life as a Summer Nomad

One of the best parts about my job is the flexibility it gives me. I do all my work online, so technically I can work from anywhere. For some reason I don't take much advantage of that except in the summer time. Last summer, I spent about half my time in Provo and half in the Springs.

This summer has been even more spazzy. From the middle of June till now, I spent a week in California, a week in southern Utah, a week at my Grandma's in Alpine, and a week back at home in Colorado. It's been crazy and exciting and fun. All of these places tap into the rush I got as a kid when summer vacation hit. "I'm on vacation? It must be summer! Time to party!" "I'm visiting Grandma's? It must be summer!" "I'm back in Colorado? It must be summer!"

I've discovered that I love to travel. Someday I want to make it out to more places that I've never seen.

But at the same time... all this travel has left me feeling a little confused about where I really belong. I've claimed Provo as my home. I've been there 8 years now. But, I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would this summer. Mainly because a lot of the people I care about don't live there anymore (although some of them still do, thank goodness!) I think I am more ready to give up life in the 9th ward than I thought, even though I've been there for four years.

I could see myself coming back to Colorado. I've loved being back here, catching up with Hayley and Lori, hanging out with my family every night... but, things are about to change here. Jason's putting his mission papers in, Kristie's headed to school in the fall... My parents will finally be empty nesters. My mom isn't exactly looking forward to that, but I'd feel weird coming back when it's just the two of them... even if I did get my own place.

And speaking of Kristie coming to BYU... Since Shauna came out to BYU, I've always been the older sibling on deck at the Y, the one people come to for rides to buy groceries or visit the orthodontist. I've always been really close to my family, and leaving them to go out to Provo was SO HARD. I was terribly homesick at first. I've tried hard to alleviate my siblings' homesickness (although I think they all handled the transition better than I did, anyways).

Anyway... part of why I stay in Provo is for them. But Shauna graduates in December, and Kristie hopes to leave on a mission during Winter Semester 2015.

I'm content to stay in Provo another year. But I'm not sure what the plan will be after that, and I'm scrambling to figure it out. I had a discussion with Kristie recently that gave me pause. She was wondering where she'll end up in the world... where she'll find work, where her husband will want to live... all that stuff we tend to ponder in college.

And it hit me that I am past that stage. I'm out of school, I've found my job.  It's time for me to plant my roots, and I better do it carefully, because there's a decent chance that I'll end up staying wherever I go for the rest of my life.

Is Provo really where I want to stay? I love it, but it's a transition place for so many people. So many of my friends have already left, and who knows how long the rest will stay?

Where will my family end up? I like the idea of staying close to them. But it remains to be seen if any of them will make it back to Colorado... and honestly, Colorado doesn't feel quite as much like home as it used to.

So what then? Give Arizona a try after all? In high school I always used to joke about moving there to avoid the snow. Or... finally go to California?

I know it's not a decision I have to make right now... but I think it's something I need to be thinking about over this next year.