Insomnia, Floaters and Hives, Oh My! – The Story of the Big Move

The last month or so has been pretty hectic.  For those of you who don’t know that my life has changed drastically, I made the decision to move to Utah around February.  I turned in my paperwork to take a year leave of absence from my job and was granted the leave in April which is when I went public with the move.  Over the last several years, I have wondered what I was going to do with my life.  Utah has always been in the back of my mind, but I never got the sense that it was my time to move.   So, I switched jobs a couple times and got my Masters.  I got that wondering feeling again this year…what am I going to do with my life?  I started researching apartments in Utah around October (possibly freaking out that I turned 30?)  just for fun.  I made spreadsheets of what I would need to buy to live on my own and how much everything would cost, just for fun.  I set all of that aside after a short while. 

Sometime around December, we found out that my aunt and uncle were going to be mission presidents for our church.  Many of you know that our church sends young men and women on missions…but did you ever think about who oversees all of them?  My aunt and uncle will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the next three years overseeing the mission there.  What a huge service they are providing!  They will be in charge of hundreds of young men and women while they are away from their homes and families.  While they are serving in this position, they asked if I would like to move and help take care of their house in Salt Lake….right around where I was looking at apartments prior to hearing about this.  Hmmm….was I being prepared for this?

To make a long story even longer, it took me awhile to make a final decision, but once I decided to move, I never wavered.  I applied for my Utah teaching license and started closing up my life in Washington.  Four months has passed and I am about to embark in a new journey, a new adventure, a new life.  It hasn’t come without a lot of stress and emotions.  I look forward to the day when I can sleep through the night.  To get everything done before the big move, I think I did most of the work during the night since I was still working full time during the day up until last week.  Maybe moving 6 days after school getting out wasn’t a good idea?  As for the floaters…it’s not what you may be thinking…I had an eye appointment this month (along with every other appointment one would need moving away from all their trusted doctors) and complained of having black spots in my left eye affecting my vision.  The actual term I was given was “floaters” which is activated by stress and lack of sleep.  You know what else can occur when you are stressed?  Hives and/or rashes. Yep.  I have been a tired zombie walking around with limited vision and red bumps on my arms.  Can you picture it?  I know the men in Utah can’t wait for me to get there!  How could one pass up a partially blind, itchy, blood shot eyed girl? 

With the stress, there has been overwhelming kindness and support.  I am truly blessed to have the best friends, colleagues, and family.  I’ll tell you what; this whole moving thing has made me see that I have many people who care about me.  It has been overwhelming and at times, incomprehensible.  The love and support has given me the strength to conquer anything put in my way this year.  Much needed and truly grateful.  I had many wonderful luncheons, dinners, and get togethers with old friends that have helped me become the person I am today.  The last week or so has been very touching for me to be with the amazing people in my life.  Luckily, my heart is big enough that they will all be with me during this journey.  I know, I know, enough of the sappiness, but my heart is full and I have to express gratitude for the amazing support I have in my life.  Thank you to everyone who came to a get together, said a kind or encouraging word, carried a heavy box, and supported me in my decision.

Friends that I have worked with at Woodin Elementary.

Friends that I have worked with at Evergreen Academy.

So, it’s been about 8 months since my last post.  With a new adventure ahead of me, I believe it is only appropriate to start this old blog back up.  The Life of Fife is reinventing itself and hope you will follow along to see where my new journey takes me.  Thanks to those who have helped get me on this path and here’s to those I will meet that will help me expand my trail.