Bittersweet Goodbye

Yesterday morning I left my parents’ house in Tennessee at 6am to hop on a plane to Dallas to be with Nik. I spent nearly two months at home, and it was filled with a roller coaster of emotions. Extreme joy from spending time with family. Frustration because of my state of limbo. Excitement to be moving on to something new. Disappointment because something new didn’t happen when I thought it should. Surprise at the prospect of seeing my brother. Sadness because Nik was far away. Comfort from my parents hugs and attention. Unease because I don’t know when I will have another pay check.

Things have finally settled down, and Nik and I finally have a direction. I will be in Dallas for four days with him, then I will visit Denver to spend the weekend with my brother, and finally Nik and I will fly to Shanghai together. To be honest, I am a little scared about China. I don’t know what to expect, and looking for work while the economy in every country is poor brings shivers up my spine. I truly believe that only good can come from the unknown. It means that I have more room to be creative with my time and I have more opportunities to make the unexpected happen.

My goodbye yesterday was bittersweet because I know my parents are worried about me. I also know that I am taking advantage of an opportunity that only comes once. We have the chance to live and work in a foreign city, and I know that it will be amazing. There’s no doubt that it will be hard. We won’t spend as much time together, and in our fields, work generally means stress. The transition will be hard, but for now it is short term. Six months in a foreign land is nothing. The time will go by too fast. I hope that we have the wisdom to appreciate it.

Meanwhile, here are some photos that I took one Saturday when Nik was in Nashville.

Our day began with brunch at Marche in the east Nashville neighborhood, Inglewood.

1985 Pontiac GrandAm. This was the car I drove during high school, and I still love it!!

An old railroad bridge over the Cumberland River near the Nyhoff Facility.

The old cattle ramp at Nyhoff, which used to be a meat packing plant.

Nik throwing mulch in the air

The Parthenon...because Nashville is the "Athens of the South"...whatever that means!

Nik & Jamie | Nashville, TN | February 1, 2009