change.

The cliches, the quotes, the song lyrics and every remotely relative sentiment surrounding this word are overwhelming my world right now.

And it's so much to think about it. And I can't grasp it right now.
I'm excited and I'm anxious. I'm sad and I'm more than ready.

Pallie's moving.
Moving away.
To start a life she's been waiting for and deserves. She'll miss this town and we'll miss her. She has brought a sense of raw, mature and genuine optimism to Music City: through the kids she works with, her peers in grad school and the random unfortunate for whom only she has the heart to acknowledge. And most of all she's has had an incredible impact on a large group our of twenty-something sidekicks. We may all be a bit older than her but she's more respected and admired than anyone I know around these parts. She's made us all a little more thoughtful, considerate and conscious of who we are and why we are here.

I {halfway} tease and call her my wife. But she really is a lot like that. She thinks up well balanced meals, she cooks, she bakes everybody a birthday cake and on-time, she knows where the scotch tape is and how to hem my pants. God knows I can't replace her and God knows I wouldn't have survived these past two years without her.

Collin's moving.
Moving here.
To be with me, for us to finally be us. It's what we've been working for, the end to the means, an exciting big step in our lives. No more marathon phone calls, no more "how much longer's?" and the only thing I may miss are the Southwest Airline magazines, the familiar cross-country flight attendants friends and their Lorna Doone cookies. Gimme a little break here..me and Southwest, we've gotten really close in our twice a month rendezvous' out west.

But I'll take seeing the boyfriend and that silly smile every single day and having weekends to be spontaneous & do whatever we want over those jet-setter articles & 100 calorie packs any stinkin day.

It's change that's progress and positive for everyone.

But Pallie and Collin came into my life {back into my life} at the exact same time: May 2007.
Pallie moved in with me at my old duplex where this cute boy lived next door. That cute boy and this wild girl started spending a lot of time together on our respective back porches. And Pallie was the first and only one to give us that sly eye, that "y'all aren't kidding anyone. be together already" look. So we did what she said, of course. And through it all...an emotional career change, a long-distance relationship and living with dreamer and a sulker, she's been my best friend, the best advice giver and the first one to put me in my place all in the name of sisterhood.

One went away and is on his journey back to this happy girl.
The other stayed, enriched my life and now she's moving on.
And their moves {in & out} are happening on the exact same day in May.

An odd full circle. But a full one, indeed.

Change is good.
I know it is.
And I'll be so ready when I have to be.

...but for now, I'll just go hide in my closet and unravel the hems on my best dress pants so in two months I can grab boyfriend's hand, jump in his car for a weekend getaway to GA and have the perfect excuse for the best of both my worlds to collide again.