The Business of Moving and New Beginnings...

I have been wanting to write for some time now about the move my family and I made up to New Jersey this autumn. Being busy prevented me some from doing so, moving is a very tiresome business. We rented a Penske truck which my Dad drove and my brother came to help us make the move from Florida all the way here, to the Princeton area. The worst thing about moving is packing but we are experts now at this, having moved more than 10 times before (close to 20 really). To the left you can see a picture of some of the boxes we used to pack books and other such things.

We have found that the liquor boxes are the best for packing books, especially books that are going on shelves within their boxes while in the truck. Still, the packing itself has a thrilling side to it, crazy as it may sound, it does...at least for me! Everytime we would find the perfect spot for an item or a book I felt like a treasure was being hidden and couldn't wait to unveil my treasure once the unpacking begins. I have to say that the most exciting part of moving is the knowledge of a new beginning which is what I really want to focus on in this post.

New beginnings are great, whether a change of location, a change of job, or just a change of pace they allow you to take a step back and look at what you have done and accomplished and then give you the courage to continue the course you have embarked on. This is a new beginning for me, the chance to start afresh in another place and follow through on some goals. It is not easy when you have been unemployed for a long while. You begin to feel discouraged and sometimes even down-right depressed but faith kept me going and the encouragement of my friends. Particularly my friends on twitter (which are all newly found ones): @Socks4HappyPPL, @RiWrites, @ReedWhatMatters (who is also @vitality4all6), @OliviaWilder, @VermontClothing, @gr8kidsmom @sewbutterfly and many more. They encouraged me by wishing my family and me well on our move and for that I am truly greatful! They are such great and wonderful people and I hope that someday I will meet many of them in real life.

Like many new beginnings, things are not always as easy as we would want them to be. We are currently without a home and living in an apart-hotel but have faith that we will find a place soon. There are quite a few places for rent but budgeting and all that can be a bit hard with the prices of everything being a bit higher than what they once were. Still, there is hope in this new beginning, hope in my new friendships and love to be shared with all! Just being in Princeton gave me a renewed sense of hope, I know that this is where I am supposed to be and that I will be used as an instrument of that hope. I love sharing with you all because what you share with me is so positive that how could I not love you all!

So, here is to new beginnings, to new friends, to love abounding in joy! May you all truly be blessed now and always!

Love from my heart,

Nadia Marie

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." -Pericles