I live in New Jersey!?

I moved to New Jersey on Saturday. I've been waiting to make this post, this declaration, until it felt real (because right now it feels like I'm on vacation with my family surprisingly close to where Keith lives). Maybe that will change when my belongings arrive (Wednesday), when I stop staying at a hotel with my mom and brother (Thursday), when my family leaves (Thursday), when I change my "lives in" location on Facebook (??), when I start school (the 22nd), or when I get a job (???). Regardless, it seems that the reality of the situation will settle in later.

When I visited Keith in September, we were walking along the waterfront in Jersey City during his lunch break. He said to me that he knew it would be time to leave when he looked at the NYC skyline and it felt normal. This idea has been circling my brain lately. Maybe that is when it will feel real. When I can point to the skyline and identify most of the buildings. When I can walk around Hoboken with my family and give feedback about the coffee shops that we pass.

I expected it to feel like high school graduation. A rush of emotions and excitement, then suddenly you're standing, throwing your cap, celebrating. And in that moment it is real. I suppose most changes take time, even the big ones.