It’s happening. After years (YEARS) of planning, my sister and I are about to hit the road –on December 31st — and start the exciting next phase of our lives.
We leave behind the retail store (Best Buy #511, Athens, GA) we’ve both worked at for over 15 years, a half house/half trailer down a mile long dirt road, and I’ll leave my bed that’s literally 30 feet from the room I was born in. We journey outward.
First we plan to drive from GA to our aunt’s house in NC. My sister Sarah will stay there for January, visiting, painting, and spending time on beautiful Lake Gaston. And I’ll head on westward — to Iowa, to democracy in action!
I’ll be working for Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign for the month of January (until the caucus). I’ll be volunteering all day, every day. I’ve never been in the Midwest in the winter before (yay!) and haven’t volunteered for a campaign since 2008. I’m very excited.
Then in February I’ll come back for Sarah and we journey all the way to Oregon, driving, our car packed with all our possessions. Out there await other Best Buys as well as natural splendor, wonderful new challenges, and the next step in our creative careers.
It’s pretty intense right now. We’re working the holidays at Best Buy, our last grandparent just passed away, we’re still letting go of more items, and there’s lots of questions about where we’ll work, live, etc.
But each day and each step gets us closer to the life of our dreams — traveling to the most beautiful places in the world and living off our creative work.
The whole year of 2019 has been about moving closer and closer to this new reality. And now it’s time. It’s scary but it’s also so exciting. I really want to go to new places, try new things. The thing about changing your life is you just push yourself closer and closer to the edge — like a barrel on the precipice of a waterfall, until you finally go over.
I’ve gotten rid of so much stuff. Ended my writing organization. Let go of other groups. Had to tell everyone I know that, ‘I’m doing this.’ Left the Best Buy I’ve worked at for sixteen years. And most of all, I have had to be open to an entirely new, entirely unknown, world.
Maybe we could have planned more, known more ahead of time. But mostly, I think not: the world outside of the safe walls you have built is not safe at all — it’s not meant to be.
If you want to go out and do the next great something, then you need to learn to step out into the void and know that — even if the void won’t catch you — the void dwellers will.
It’s exciting. And it’s time. I can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for my sister and I, and for you too. 2020 is looking pretty freakin’ fine.
If you want to see what this magnitude of changing your life looks like in action (I’m curious myself 😉 ), the main ways I’ll be sharing my adventure are here and on Twitter — @KatherineCerule
And, while I do not yet know everywhere I will go, I’m very proud of everywhere I have been in this life.
Thank you for sharing the journey with me so far.
Now onward!
The emprise awaits!
Stay Extraordinary 
I am speechless. Thus post is exquisite. I especially love the metaphor of the barrel falling over the waterfall. I am so happy for you both. I am excited to read your posts about your extraordinary future!
Thank you Jill! And congrats on getting TWO PIECES in the Flagpole!
I also must say in reading this post I feel inspired to imagine where life may take me if I dare to leap.
So excited for updates along the journey! Congrats on taking these brave first steps without knowing everything, just like Frodo who took the ring though he did not know the way. (But if at all possible, take a detour around Mount Doom.)