As you might have read on the JMF blog, I don’t live or work at Juniper Moon Farm any more. It was a period of tremendous growth and transformation– looking back at who I was 18 months ago, I barely recognize my old self. I’ll be forever grateful for all the wonderful memories I made there. As our guests used to tell us: it really is a magical place.
Zac and I have moved back to Chapel Hill– actually, to Carrboro– and I couldn’t be happier. I am excited about:
- Living a 5 minute walk from some of my best friends in the world.
- Getting to be a part of a community again! Like, participate lightly in the lives of many people! Seeing them around town! Smiling at them! Know the names of the all the neighbor’s dogs!
- Having a public to go out in. Great restaurants! Bars! A community-based center for learning languages! The Weaver Strett lawn! Whatever! You can walk to them! On a sidewalk!
- Going to bury this bit of shocking news, but: Going to Medical School.
- That is to say, implementing my surefire 2-year plan to get in to med school.
- Getting to see my & Zac’s family more than twice a year. I’m especially glad that one of my sisters is currently at UNC, and the other might be at school in Durham next year– we’ll get to see each other all the time!
- Being able to ride my bike around everywhere again.
- Shoot, having a nice and pleasant place to ride a bike. Or to go for a run.
- Having the work/life balance that gives me the free time to exercise.
- Or read a book.
- Speaking of: UNIVERSITY LIBRARY CARD Y’ALL.
- Or, really, just as good: CHAPEL HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY CARD Y’ALL. My book budget is back to $0.
- But, back to exercising: I’m terribly excited to volunteer with the kids’ cross country & track club I was a member of when I was little (seriously, 1996. Best year of my life.)
- Have I mentioned that I get to have friends again?
- How the whole town of Carrboro– but especially our new neighborhood– is seemingly locked in a battle for best garden. Since I’ve acquired a new pair of eyes– I’m newly able to see how much work & care goes into simple maintenance– I’m amazed by the gardens here! Both NC Botanical and Duke Gardens have undergone some seriously wonderful renovations in the past year and a half, and I am impressed.
- Walking to the Farmer’s Market. When I used to live here, I was too cool for the Carrboro Farmer’s Market, because I grew up going to that sucker. Now, I am proud to tell you, I am not too cool for anything. Something else I was always too cool for? The Tuesday cruiser ride.
- Living with Zac is always lots of fun, but especially now because he brings home wonderful things from the restaurant (duck cassoulet? butternut cheesecake? yes, please.).
- Getting to watch Zac work towards his dreams. Getting to work towards mine. Getting to build something together that’s ours.
- Getting to be back in Chapel Hill, period. In the Crito, when Socrates talks about in what sacred regard he holds the city of Athens? Dante’s ode to the city of Florence? I love this town in the same sort of you-made-me-who-I-am way (but of course, not as much as) I love my parents.
- Coming back to town and being welcomed, helped and listened to by our families and friends. Hearing, “We missed you,” and knowing that that’s true.
Thanks so much, guys, for your encouraging, hopeful, and helpful comments, emails, tweets, and phonecalls. They mean more to me than you know.
