Free at last

These hot days are reminding me of where I come from. I lived in Detroit til the ripe old age of 31.(Except for that one year when I was 20 and escaped to San Francisco for a year-but that's a story for another day)And when Detroit was hot,it was hot.And stinky.

Then one fine day,I went to visit a friend who had gone to Connecticut to finish a degree. Now, aside from a year in San Franciso,I also went camping in Virginia beach ,once. And a whirlwind 5 day trip that consisted of 3 zoos,Sun Studios and Graceland.Not exactly a big traveler.

I always wanted to go to India(another story for another day),but Connecticut?No thanks. What's in Connecticut? All it conjured up for me was images of David Letterman(Whom I have loved since the 80's when I first started watching him-but didn't think he'd want a visit!)Martha Stewart,and pilgrims.But I wanted to see my friend,so Connecticut it was.

I drove through Canada one hot June day in 1997. It seemed like the fastest way to get to-yawn-Connecticut. I stopped in Taughannock falls in New York on my way. I had been to Taq falls in Michigan once in 1996,and I believe whoever was trapped inside me stirred that day,so much so that I have made it a point never to miss a waterfall when the opportunity presents itself. They are alive to me, I adore them. So I stopped at one on my way to CT.

Next day, I journeyed on to the hamlet of Storrs, CT. Home of a rather large state university. I'm only a high school grad,so I wasn't particularly taken by Storrs or CT........yet. My friend was moving to a nearby town,and transferring to a Massachusetts school to do her post-doc,so part of my visit included helping with the big move.

That's when I was introduced to what I lovingly refer to as Connectitucky. The northeast corner of our little state stole my heart right away. When my friend was all moved in,I did a little exploring.Mystic, Coventry,Putnam, even the little town of Willimantic was indeed romantic to me.

To make a very long story short,when I left for Detroit July first,I left my suitcases in her basement. Sounds a little crazy,but it's a story for another day.And it wasn't crazy. ( I forgot to mention I had read Walden while I was visiting that June-and went to Concord. I was onto something....)

I moved to our lovely little state June 18, 1998(my 31st birthday). I have never regretted it. Not for one second. I wish I could say that about alot of decisions I have made.(Like those 2 tattoos in the eighties!)People would ask,why are you moving? Do you have a job out there? Did you meet someone? Logical questions. My only answer would be to make a frame of my hands,point it up to a tree and say "see this tree and sky between my fingers?" Yes,they'd say. "What if you didn't have to do this? What if there was trees and skies everywhere? THAT is why I'm moving." Some folks knew what I meant right away. Most importantly,I knew. It was a long year that last year in Detroit,but I am ever grateful for it. I got to say all my goodbyes,and leave without regret.