LIVING THE LIFE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S MOVIE

Hallelujah, I'm back! I hope this finds everyone well and happy.

Well, I guess I should share the big news if you haven't already heard it. Ready? Are you sitting down? I'm moving back to North Carolina.

Now before you shit yourself and call me screaming, please know two things. One, I am moving to Charlotte, which I loved when I was back there anyways. I am not...I repeat, NOT moving back to High Point. Secondly, it is because of love. Yes, my friends, I went on vacation to go to my friend's wedding and ended up meeting my soul mate. You okay? You still doing alright? I can hear your thoughts now, "You said you hated living back there! You don't believe in soul mates! I thought you were Ms. I Want To Be On My Own." Well, I thought so too. Let me remind you again, I am moving to Charlotte first of all. Thanks to Eylin, I got to spend time there and loved it...even thought about moving there a few times, but never really put forth the effort. My family and friends back there thought I should move there, as it's much more conducive to me and the things I enjoy. I guess I just had to move 3,000 miles away, come back for a visit, and fall madly in love to get it right.

So the falling in love part. Yes my friends, I finally get it. And yes, I have been converted to a believer in soul mates. It's such a long and beautiful story, but I'll try to summarize it the best this yammer-mouthed girl can do.

I flew in for Eylin and Steve's wedding weekend bonanza on Friday, August 8th. It was a grand ol' night hanging with my dearest Eylin, her man, her son, their families, and finally meeting her best friend I've always heard about for 12 years, yet never met. There was a lot of wine and a lot of bonding, and a big ass hangover the next day. Saturday was their fantastic pre-wedding BBQ (or "cookout" as you Southerners like to call it) where the theme was Pantone 229 Blue, 80's or Sci-Fi. So about 200 people came throughout the day, mainly dressed in blue, while about 10 of us braved our own version of the 80's. I went for the, "Hey! I'm the supposedly hip, I'm a cool chick, soccer mom" look complete with a hideous hot pink Hawaiian print dress with skinny belt, pastel makeup, and side ponytail in a scrunchie. And yes, they unfortunately still sell scrunchies. There was some cool costumes, but Liz, I gotta give you credit for being the best dressed by far.

I get over my hangover by drinking more wine, some unfortunately which was very no bueno. And then the boy walks out the kitchen door past my post at the patio table. He was gorgeous with a red shirt, black hat with black curls hanging out from under the hat, and a cane. I was smitten instantly. I asked Eylin, "Who's the hot guy with the cane?" She told me his name was Pete and that he was one of Steve's friends and is really cool. I kept on hanging out, but would continuously glance over his way off in the corner. He had this smile that made me want to know him.

As the day turned into night, Eylin came up to me and asked if I'd met him yet, which I told her I hadn't. The woman grabs my hand, leads me to a dark half moon of men near the grill, introduces me to all of them, including Pete, and then says, "Hey Pete, tell Heather how you messed up your leg!" and walks away. He tells me about his skateboarding accident, and that my friends, was the beginning of a new and beautiful life. I have never been able to talk so easily with someone and have it reciprocated. When I left I told him I was in town for another week and asked him out, so we made a date for Wednesday.

Long story, short, our first date shifted and ended up being the next day for Eylin and Steve's wedding. On our first date we were asked by the groom (loudly in front of their friends) if we wanted go ahead and make it official while their officiant was still there, and later I "we"ed us. Our original first date ended up being our third date. And then we were in in for the long haul. He met my family. I met his friends. We laughed all the time, held hands, kissed, spilled our hearts, souls, and skeletons to each other, and in the end we wanted this to keep going. We knew this was the real thing, and this was it for us. I have way less to lose than he does by me moving there, so it was an easy decision. Not to mention that my mom and my sister and her family, are only an hour and a half away, and I also already have friends there. And the weather is awesome. The gray skies that have moved back in will not be missed. By the end of our week and a half together, we had professed our love for each other. I know it sounds fast, but my god, when you know, you know. I've never been so sure of anything in all my life!

It is so easy to love each other and be together. And yes, you may think the distance helps make it easy, but no. I've done the long distance thing before and it typically complicates the situation. It doesn't with us. It's still so easy. Talking for hours a day on top of texts and emails doesn't hurt either. Neither does an immense amount of laughter, honesty and trust. We are absolutely on the same page of how we feel about each other, how we love each other, and what we want from our lives and future together. He is the most kind, funny, beautiful, giving, caring, open, honest man I have ever known. And to be honest, I think the years of time off I took really helped me and taught me so much about myself and what type of person I wanted to be in a relationship. It is so healthy, honest and fun, it's amazing.

There is no official move date yet, but we are planning for November. I'm going out there next weekend, and then he's coming out in November to come get me, briefly meet everyone and see the city, then drive back with me to take me to my new home and my new life. I cannot wait. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I can sit still with him. Absolutely. I don't have my next city, my next move, planned in my head. He is home to me, and whether we stay in Charlotte forever, or run away together to some far off or close by land, he will continue to be home. I think I've found what it is I've been looking for all these years in moving about. Or maybe I just found it at a time where I was already willing to call truce on my own life and moving habits and just stop. Maybe he just got me at the right time, as I did him? Either way it doesn't matter why or how. I like to tell him how when I first met him it felt like, "Oh! There you are." Like I'd found someone I'd always been with, but had lost for a bit at the party.

The man is my best friend and the most amazing, awe inspiring man I've ever met. And every day we both tell each other how lucky we are to have each other. And I know that we are each other's future. My friends, my chapter of wandering about, looking for life and love is over because I found it. I think pieces were always there within myself, but Pete brings it out in me and makes me see the truth of it all. He was just the missing link to bring it all together.

I finally get my "Happily Ever After".

(Curtain falls)