This past month.

at my favorite spot in Syracuse, Roji's Tea Lounge.

A month ago I was slowly packing up my things and setting them aside in Kryss' room. Everyday we would get together a few more items to bring, not sure if it would all fit into his little Fiesta. I didn't believe any of this would actually happen, figuring if was just some half-brained idea we both settled on. I'll never forget the night he came to me with this crazy idea to drive 2,200 miles to get to New York. As much as I felt happy and excited for this possibility, I didn't let myself get my hopes up. I didn't believe for a moment this would actually happen. We gave ourselves two weeks to get everything in order. Two weeks to tell his family and friends, to let work know they would be losing some of their top employees, and to help Kryss pack up the 26 years of his life in that little room. 

It was hard watching him pack his life away into these little boxes, making sure it would fit for the drive. I knew he was ecstatic to be leaving El Paso even if it was for a little while, but I hated that he had to leave his family. They have such an amazing relationship with each other and it's something I've secretly been envious of. I'll miss those nights when he would brew some coffee and we'd sit in the kitchen with his mother. Even sitting down for dinner with the whole family, something I've never done with my own. 

Some people didn't take the news as well as others. People said it was a terrible idea and Kryss would end up broke or dead. We talked a lot about people not supporting him and turning their back on him at one of the most important times of his life. He was finally leaving the place he grew up in for 26 years. He would be without the company of friends and family, all he had was his boyfriend of a few short months. This was pretty big if you ask me and not having the full support of his friends is disappointing. 

So, we've been here a month..

I never thought I'd be back home, I told myself I wouldn't come back. I didn't want to come back and feel like I had just put my life here on pause and I'm back to resume it. I wanted to make sure if I ever came back, I'd be a completely different person; more positive and ready for life. To be honest, I feel like I am a totally different person. I've had time to grow and change, learn new things about myself and appreciate the little things. I'm happier and more positive about everything.
I've always had this negative attitude towards my hometown. I couldn't wait to get out, see other parts of the world, not realizing that there are far worse places than Syracuse. Since coming back, I've seen Syracuse in a completely different light. Driving through the city at night, I feel this huge sense of appreciation for the place I was born and raised in. The buildings have become fascinating and beautiful to me, I almost feel like I'm in a whole new town.
The creativity scene here has grown so much since I left. There are so many more coffee shops that I'm now finding out about and need to explore. There was even an event that took place a few weeks ago to bring together the web design community. I can't wait to be a part of the creative community here and expand my network. Even the mall has expanded and it's bringing in a lot more traffic because of it.
This past month has taught me a lot. It's okay to leave your hometown for awhile and see what the world has to offer. It was the scariest thing I've done in my life so far and it was made last minute, some people thought I would regret leaving.
I still don't have a single regret. I took an adventure and learned so much about myself and the world around me. I have stories and memories to share with others. I am so happy I made the decision to leave and I'm even happier I decided to come back home because deep down I missed it every day I was gone.