Home for the holidays. Though I have not lived in my home state since 1993, I still think of it as home. Muncie has always been, for me, temporary. My current place of residence. Every time I go home, I wonder why I have chosen a profession that does not allow me to choose where I live. Why do I spend weeks out of the year driving hundreds of miles with kid(s) and pets in a mid-sized car to see family instead of simply living near them? When I was small, the 90-minute drive to see my grandparents and cousins seemed interminable. My child (im)patiently waits 12 hours to see our extended family. I have spent the last few days pondering this, (re)thinking my priorities. Can I have it all? “All” means different things to different people. What are my priorities? In no particular order: family, immediate and extended, a career that gives me meaning and purpose in life, climate, geography, and an active outdoor life, friends and an active social life, civic duty and activism to make whatever community I live in better, stronger, and more inclusive. In Muncie, I have a meaningful career and good friends and I attempt to contribute to the city in positive ways, but I’m missing family and would prefer a different climate and geography. How long will I think about this list without making substantial changes, or live in peace with the opportunities and choices I have here?
