It’s February in Chicago. I have just returned from a vacation in warm, beachy Florida. I’m not amused by the weather in the city that I have called home for the past decade. It is a very sunny day, but the bright rays are deceitful as it is -3 degrees outside. I plod through dirty, slushy snow and wonder how so many layers have failed to keep me warm. Also, when did the wind become my enemy? Why does each breeze feel as if it is stabbing me? I vowed to myself that this is MY LAST WINTER IN CHICAGO!

Here’s the thing, though–I say that every year. Then the warmer weather arrives, and I am a bit more forgiving of Chicago’s weather related flaws. This year, however, I meant it when I said I was done! That’s when the idea of moving to the Netherlands came up again. After going back and forth about the possibility of moving abroad, then having changes in employment and life, it finally seemed like 2015 was the year to just do it.

So here I am, less than a month away from leaving the life and home I’ve made for myself over the last ten years. What I am doing is not an easy thing to do, and while exciting, it’s bittersweet. I feel: excited, anxious, overwhelmed, scared, happy, overwhelmed, ready, panicked, and overwhelmed. In 25, days I will be living in the Netherlands!

I am excited about this new chapter. I welcome the many adventures and new experiences ahead of me. They won’t all be adventures of happiness, but I hope they all lead to growth, learning, and personal development. Here we go…