It's Really Happening!

“Once you'd resolved to go, there was nothing to it at all.” ― Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle

I’ve been called an adventurer. I’ve been called brave.  Someone even said I had balls!  But whatever you want to call it, I just know I feel free!

I left CT on a Wednesday and traveled south to Harrisonburg, VA where I spent the night.  Up early the next morning and on to Charlotte, NC.  I-81 thru Virginia parallels the Appalachian Mountains and it was a beautiful ride.  Too bad there weren’t places to pull over to take pictures!

On Friday, I had lunch with the minister from the church I planned on attending on Sunday. We got to know each other and she told me more about the church and the area.

Over the course of Friday and Saturday, I visited about eight apartment complexes. Five of them within 10 miles of the church and the other three in the town just north of Charlotte. Saturday night I used my laptop to develop an excel spreadsheet to compare all of the apartments.  It was easier to have all the information in one place.  I narrowed it down to two complexes and visited both of them again after church on Sunday.

On Saturday, I drove down to the Myers Park section of Charlotte and met my cousin Jim and his wife Kitty for lunch.  This was the first time I had met Jim (he is technically my 2^nd cousin 2 x removed). He is the brother of Carolyn, the cousin I met in Alabama in 2011 and then spent time with in Tennessee in 2013.  Since Jim is not into the family genealogy the way Carolyn and I are, I had to explain how we were related.  Jim is about 84 years old so it was nice to hear about his life’s travels and how he ended up in Charlotte.  His son James also lives in Charlotte so I look forward to meeting him when I return in April.

My visit to church on Sunday was very successful.  I spent about four hours there and had the opportunity to meet many people.  There was a pre-service Sunday school for women my age that was very lively and open.  The actual church service was very similar to my Congregational Church upbringing and I felt comfortable following along.  After church, there was a potluck lunch and a presentation regarding a future mission trip to Guatemala. I was also fortunate to meet a few people who shared their experience with employment options in the Charlotte area. 

I drove back to CT on Monday and Tuesday, spending a good part of the trip thinking about my visit.  Could I picture myself living in Charlotte?  Did any of the apartments feel like they could be “home”?  Would Holy Covenant UCC be a church community where I could belong and contribute to? Could I afford to make this move?

By Thursday the decision had been made and I’m moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in mid-April.  And I couldn’t be happier!! I am so very ready to begin a new chapter in my life and I’m really excited to get started.