The Goodbyes

The right decision is far from the easiest. We know we made the right decision and it is hard to find someone that disagrees. “I wish I had the guts to do what you are doing!” “I should’ve done what you are doing before I had children.” “Better to do it now because no one is guaranteed tomorrow.”   

The truth is, it’s just tough leaving good people behind. We’ve been fortunate to have a great group of friends and wonderful family in Charlotte and worked with some fantastic coworkers. Amanda has spent nearly a third of her life working at her dental office and forged strong relationships with not only her coworkers but also her patients. My time at Lowe’s was spent working on a great, close-knit team that supported other great teams. Most people long to have the type of coworkers and leadership we had. But now we are technically unemployed. 

It hit me really hard as I got into my car after saying my goodbyes at lunch on Friday. The waterworks started and kept going on and off for a good few hours. I tried to find different distractions to take my mind off of it but eventually just succumbed to the emotions. There’s a sort of lingering emptiness where it feels like I’ve lost some sense of purpose, which is ridiculous. The mind can be silly at times. My purpose, and more importantly, our purpose, is to continue to see the world, experience different cultures, and eat all the food.

As we make the final preparations before we venture off today, we just wanted to thank everyone.  My wife and I have had such an outpouring of love and support sent our way and it makes a huge difference. It is also so bittersweet because the same people that are excited for our journey are also the reason why it is so hard to leave Charlotte. We have been so fortunate and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you.