Would you sell 90% of the stuff you own, quit your job, and move cross country with no job lined up to make a fresh start? Welcome to my life in 2019!!
I have lived in Arkansas for 20 years. Eleven of them have been in NWA. Moving from good ole Louisiana, where I was born and raised, to follow my twin sister who lived in the Ozark Mountains. I won’t lie, I fell in love with these rolling hills full of nature and beauty. We lived 15 minutes or less from any outdoor activity you can image. Canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, swimming camping the list could go on and on. Everything outdoors was accessible, with the luxury of coming back home to the city. After graduating college, the kids and I (I am a single mom of three whom now are all young adults) moved to Fayetteville, AR. Once I was an empty nester I moved to Downtown Springdale where for the first time in my life I lived alone. It was a small studio apartment only big enough for a bed and small couch, but oh how I loved this intimate romantic space. I was able to see Downtown Springdale revitalize and watch it from my window. The walkable - live - work - play concept grabbed a hold of me and has not let go.
As time went by, my twin sister moved to Richmond, VA and my life continued without her. I grew in my career as Director of Exhibitions at the Arts Center of the Ozarks and even last year I made the leap into civic engagement by running for City Council. Though I did not win the seat I gained a lot of knowledge. I love my community. Everyone from Glen who runs Organic Creations and reminds me of the Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe to all my local watering holes; Jeffro Brown and Buck Ahrens, you know who you are! I love all the taquerias and yes, they are all different! My art studio, my work and my home, but none of these things holds my heart. My heart is in Richmond, VA. She moved there 8 years ago, and nothing has been the same since then.
I think the idea of moving was a mixture of being separated from my twin sister and being unhappy with my job. My sister and I tried to visit one another at least twice a year but it was never enough and I wanted a new job, preferably one that respected me as an artist and arts leader. NWA is rising in the arts ecology and progressing but Springdale lags behind. Within the past year I have felt like my views are radical and too “progressive” for what I consider to be the bible belt, good ole boy arena. Each visit to Richmond over the years made it harder and harder to come back. The city is very similar to Fayetteville and this year was named top 20 cities to live in for creatives. I thought about states I’ve never lived in like Oregon, Colorado. It was all talk and basically throwing ideas at a wall to see what would stick. In the end, being close to my sister became a priority and Richmond was where I have decided to go.
I have kept this idea to myself for a while. I vaguely mentioned it to my friends. I didn’t want to jinx myself or make a big deal out of something that wasn’t 100% sure. It didn’t become serious until the beginning of this year. I was depressed and knew that a change had to be made. I had a lot of fear.
“Sometimes the fear won’t go away. So, you’ll have to do it afraid”
I knew when I read this quote that I had to just move forward.
So, this morning I gave my resignation, to a job I have held for 9 years now. My last day at the center will be a month from now. I have no other job lined up and my “war” chest is not exactly in the running for most prepared funds to move on, but I have felt freer than I ever have. My only sadness lies in leaving my community and friends that I have grown to love so much.
To quote my favorite new marvel character, Captain Marvel: “Higher, Further, Faster. Try and keep up.”
