goodbye to Durham

On Friday, I picked up a rental car at Raleigh Durham Airport, threw my air mattress and suitcase in the back seat, and drove away from Durham for the last time as a resident. Living in Durham, and particularly near Duke, was a huge blessing in my life. Ready for a hashtagBLESSED post?

Not to get wishy washy, because I don't, but the decision to head South with D turned out to be much better than we could have anticipated, both professionally and personally.

There is a community feel here that I haven't really experienced anywhere else. I'm confident it can be found in big cities just as easily as in small (growing!) towns, but we hadn't been lucky in that way yet. A high-rise in Northern Virginia and a brief stint on Capitol Hill didn't allow us to be regulars at any cocktail bars, to develop relationships with our favorite farmers (how bougie), and to feel like you're part of the fabric of social life.

I also think we made some lifestyle changes for the better. We did fall off cooking together, which probably won't be resumed what with our travel schedule, but we make other positive changes. I can't say we are hiking fanatics just yet, but I do think the proximity to some pretty incredible nature influenced us.

And of course, how do I quantify how valuable knowing Duke has been? I'm not sure who got the better deal, me getting this job or Dave getting his MBA at Fuqua, but for both of us we couldn't have made better, more strategic decisions to move our careers forward. Not to mention season tickets to Cameron two years in a row...

People make the place, of course, and I couldn't have shared Duke/Fuqua with better people. Making friends as adults after the friends-on-a-silver-platter experience of college isn't always easy, but the Fuqua partner community made it so. Bookclub wine nights, strolls around East Campus with tea (or something stronger), Bunco wine nights, dancing the night away at embarrassing bars and catching shows at DPAC, girls weekends in the mountains and beaches and couples getaways to Asheville, and the WEDDING of our dear friends...there are a lot of good memories leaving with me.

Ooh! And shout out to my loved ones that made it to Durham. Thank you all for experiencing Monuts with me (Vogelbut my first visit!, Rico pre-babes <3, Gin & Kyle and an impromptu engagement shoot, Cope ugh missed you, Nick to help us explore Raleigh, all of my amazing siblings, D's amazing sibling, my amazing cousin and almost-cousin ;-), DAD at cameron!! and a few other times to boot, Mr. & Mrs. Rokeach to watch with pride when D graduated, SO MUCH LOVE CAME).

And speaking of people, my person, you know.

Duke and Durham were a wonderful home for 2+ years, and while I have zero (and I mean zero) regrets or hesitation about my relocation, I do feel gratitude.

Good thing I need to be back a few times a month for work...as in, this Thursday and Friday, and the one after that...if any of my 3 friends in Durham want to get together, lemme know.