*on the other end*

There are times in our lives when we know exactly what is going to happen next. There are things that just come sequentially and there are things that just happen without us having to work to make them come. And then there are times when life suddenly puts a road block in front of us and makes us switch it up and choose a different way to go. Suddenly, I am realizing that in just a few short months I will hit one of those obstacles and I will have to stop, change my path and start over on a new road.

And I think that no matter which way we choose to go, there is one important thing to consider: we must always follow the way that we know we want, the way that we know is the best for us, the way that gets us closer to our dreams. And that road may take you away from those you love, it may take you far from where you started and it may take you away from all that you know, but it will make you grow. It will give you a step toward something more important, a step toward creating your life, a step toward following your dreams and a step toward finding out more about yourself and in yourself, more about life and love and hope.

There are moments when we will be scared, terrified actually, or what will come when we take that next step. There will be moments when nothing makes sense and tears fall for those we left behind, but there will also be satisfaction and fulfillment. There will be joy and accomplishment and dreams come true. For me, I have a feeling that I will end up somewhere far away from what I'm used to, somewhere closer to my "Paris," both figuratively and physically. For me, I just have a feeling that in just a few short months I will be leaving this city in which I became an adult, in which so many firsts took place and leaving this place and all the people in it. I just have a feeling.

And while that may not be the case, if it is, it doesn't mean that I love these people any less, it doesn't mean that I love this city any less, or that I am leaving behind my life. All it means is that there will be a time for me to grow as a person, as a designer, as an artist. It will be a time for me to find a new way, to fulfill that ever restless spirit within me and a way to find out a little bit more about the person I have become. It means that I will be that much closer to my dreams and that I will have done something that I truly want, that truly is right for me, that truly means what it should mean.

We cannot be afraid of being afraid, we cannot be afraid of being alone, because I've realized that no matter what, the people that love us will always be there, and when we are finished chasing those dreams, they will still be there with open arms waiting to hold us at the other end.