Why Moving 3,000 Miles Away Really Stinks Sometimes

I wrote in an earlier post about my friend Missy and her new daughter, Siena (her beautiful face is at right). Missy and I talked this morning, and we were both feeling a little homesick for each other.

It made me remember the reason I thought about not packing up my stuff and moving out to California in 2003. Simply put, I cherished the relationships I had in Baltimore, and I feared losing them.

Luckily, my relationship with Missy has remained very intact. But it stinks to be away from her, especially at times like these--times we talked about as kids, when actually getting married and having kids seemed like a lifetime away.

Other relationships haven't been as successful. I've lost touch with a few people, mainly because our lives have continued in different directions and we weren't able to devote the time we needed in order to keep our connections strong. And that has to be okay--it's just how life goes sometimes. Life moves on.

But it's a tradeoff, you know? Leaving Baltimore has resulted in an even stronger connection with my sister, a beautiful relationship with her daughter, and the unexpected joy of finding someone to share my life with.

But today I'd really like to be seeing Siena in person.

And sometimes, when I'm feeling homesick, I'd just like to be back in Missy's house in 1985, listening to Duran Duran and dreaming about her future as Mrs. Paul McCartney (who is playing on the radio right now, fyi) and my future as Mrs. Sting.