"Change is inevitable... except from a vending machine." As I said in my previous post, July has been an eventful month for Nate and I. We've had some big changes all occurring at one time. On July 20th, we got the keys to our new house in Lake Highlands; Monday I started a new job as the Admission Associate at Good Shepherd Episcopal School; yesterday we started renovations on the house (more details and pictures to follow); and this weekend we'll completely move into the new house. 

Through all of this, I have learned so much about the beauty of change. I believe change is necessary for  growth, and sometimes change means taking a risk. Something that has become abundantly clear to me is that most change, even good change, can be scary because you're leaving the comfortable, the familiar, and the memories. My first week at my new job has been an adventure, and I have such confidence that this will be a great and challenging experience. Even knowing that, there are still moments of sadness when I miss my Hockaday friends; I miss the "usual" way of doing things; I miss knowing everyone; and I miss my desk chair with my perfect back support (it's the little things that really matter). At the same time, as excited as Nate and I are about buying and renovating our first home, there's a definite sadness about leaving our rental house. We love the M-streets; we'll miss our long talks on that porch; we'll miss walking to our favorite places on Greenville; most of all, we'll always remember that as our first house we lived in together.

And that's what I'm learning... that grieving or feeling sadness over change isn't only allowed, it's necessary. So this post is a memorable goodbye to several important parts of my life, and also an exciting welcome to new adventures and challenges that are right around the corner!