Our time in the Delta is running out

On Friday as I drove over this bridge, I found myself getting a little emotional.  I even dropped a tear or two.  This was one of my last trips over the bridge we have come to know so well.  School is out tomorrow and our time in the Mississippi Delta is coming to a close. When we moved here I never imagined that moving on from this stage of our lives would be difficult, much less something that would bring me to tears.

We have 2 weeks left of living in the South. It is not long enough.  I am fighting it.  I am pretending it isn't happening and have yet to pack a single thing.  How can I just pack in as much of it as I can in the next 2 weeks?  As much as we will miss this place, we have decided that it will be best for the future of our family to move.  We are headed to Colorado.  We will be living in Littleton for now, but where we will permanently be has not been decided yet, although it will probably be somewhere in Colorado.

The South is something else, especially in the Mississippi River Delta.  It is a place you just have to experience for yourself. There are so many things that I will miss about living in the South, and of course a few things I certainly will not miss.  I will miss driving through the country listening to country music.  There is just something right about that. I will miss the beauty of the farmlands, the cotton plants, the cypress and magnolia trees, and Brinley's new favorite, the corn stalks.  I will miss the small town feeling.  I will miss the fried chicken, crawfish, turtle soup, and fried catfish. I will miss the "little baby turtles" and the Egrets, and the cardinals. I will miss the southern drawl and the little boy whose favorite primary song is "Take a ride on my big green tractor."

More than anything I will miss the friends that we have made while living here.  Something about being away has made it easier to build relationships with friends as well as with each other. Everyone becomes closer when all you have is each other. You are important to those around you, and they are important to you. I worry so much about going back to where we are just one of many, and getting lost in the crowd.  There is not enough room here to get lost in the crowd. I just wish I could bring all of these wonderful people with me. 2 weeks really is not long enough.

Of course, living here has had its fair share of difficulties. I will NOT miss the poor customer service, or my inability to communicate.  I will not miss the giant mosquitoes that for some reason love the taste of my blood, and the hotter than anything summers. I will not miss having to drive to a park to be able to go for a run, although I have come to love that park.  I will not miss the lack of elevation, lack of fabric stores, or lack of decent restaurants. When we first moved here I thought all of these things were important.  Oh how minor they really are.

We have so many memories that we built here, from seeing our first alligators, to entering new states, to even having a child here.  We have had so many learning experiences and cultural awakenings.  I wouldn't trade the past two years for anything.  Yes, I just cried a little bit more.