It's So Hard To Say Goodbye ...

I hate goodbyes! Hate, hate, hate 'em. I am a big-time crier, too. (Just to warn all of you Roseburg people.) :) I have been dreading writing this post, but, alas, it must be done.

Most of you already know that we're leaving the lovely town of Roseburg in a few weeks to return to our motherland, Virginia. Mike -- so proud of him -- landed an excellent job at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond doing cardiac rehab. This is a dream come true for him. He's hoping to get his finger in research and teaching at the school. Wonderful opportunity for him!

We didn't intend to return to Virginia to live (although I secretly wanted to someday.) :) When we were there at Christmas he learned about the job opening and just applied on a whim ... and got it!

We are so sad to leave our cherished friends. One of my favorite quotes (author unknown) is: "You never really leave a place you love. Part of it you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind." That is totally how I feel about Roseburg. I had no idea I would grow to love this place so much when I first moved here. The people have made all the difference. Roseburg will always have a special place in my heart for some solid reasons:

- This is where Mike and I launched our marriage.
- We experienced much of the West while living here: Seattle and Pasco, Washington; Portland, Bend, and Eugene, Oregon; and San Francisco, Monterey, and Carmel, California.
- We enjoyed the gorgeous, breathtaking hiking and scenery available here multiple times.
- We made INCREDIBLE friends. (Who knew we'd make some of the best friends of our lives here?) I know that we'll stay in touch!
- We were able to live slimly and save for a down payment on a house. Let the house hunting begin -- yah!
-We had a baby here -- yah!!!

We'll always have wonderful connections to this place!

Now for the invitation. You are ALL invited to come visit us on the East Coast. We truly love visitors and expect you guys to come stay with us. YOU MUST! Richmond is just a hop, skip, and a jump from D.C. (Okay, it's two hours.) But, we'll be in the heart of Virginia, which means we'll be surrounded by lots of beautiful historical sites. Richmond is where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, for example. Please come visit! (For real. We really do mean it; we're not just saying it.)

We will miss our Roseburg friends dearly. At the same time, we look forward to being closer to family and great friends. Mike and I have talked about how it would be so awesome if we could create a neighborhood full of our close friends and family so we wouldn't have to all be so spread out. Wouldn't that be AMAZING? Ahh, wishful thinking.

Thank you, Roseburg people, for such an incredible two years. I only have absolutely fond and wonderful memories. I love you all so much!

We don't leave until March 18, so there's still time to hang out!