In all my long(haha) twenty four years, I've come to learn that it's not about the money in my pocket or the things I have. In fact, it's not even about where I am at, or what I live in... It's about the people who surround me and the kind of experiences I give myself.
I always joked with myself that jaded wasn't such a bad thing, and honestly, some of the memories hurt so bad sometimes, but I wouldn't trade what I know now for my innocence again. Through all my trial and error, I have learned good people are what make life worth while, and great experiences worth having; Like when I lived out of my car in Seattle with my dog and worked at REI. My friends from that chapter will always have a very special place in my heart and memories, no matter how far apart we get. Rusty was my mentor and Tony was my play mate and fellow wild aries spirit. No matter how broke Tony and I were we managed to have fun and help each other out when we needed it most. I'm pretty sure there was a time he gave me his last $20 to make sure I was fed, and a time I had hardly a dime for gas but drove with him through snow to get his car from a shop hours from Seattle in the mountains full of snow.
Houston may be nothing like Seattle, but the people I've found here are my family. I'm going to miss lush, green Washington, and the unique Northwest culture that's been bred into me; but I feel so at home with Southern hospitality, that I just may secretly be a Southern bell.
Don't worry, I'll never lose my Northwest snowboarder flair, and I just might have to rock Birkenstocks and socks this winter, just to throw off all the Texans. ;-) I can't wait to start a new chapter of my life with my new friends, and new memories with my old friends and family.