The wash...
Before I decided to sell my restaurant, I called a few places around the country to find out about the GI Bill paying for flight school. Somehow I stumbled upon Big Bend and spoke with someone about attending. Nothing came of it for quite some time. The turmoil leading up to the final event of my restaurant will have a huge impact on me as a person. The moment I picked up the check (and subsequently went back to the restaurant to fight with the new owners) my life had started again. Onward to truck driving school to get my CDL and a few short months later I would be all over the US. From California to Orlando, through Texas and North Dakota and on a random run through Seattle I decided to get off the truck and do something a bit different. Mostly motivated by the fact that the guy I had to drive with smelled like dirty cow-ass. Anyways, I got a job with a tree service company and during my time off decided that this wasn't going to be how my life goes downhill. I worked some logistics and enrolled in flight school. The last time I flew a plane I was fourteen years old and really only remember seeing the wreckage from a plane that went down a few weeks before.
After a truly sad departure from my tree job, I migrated like a gypsy to Moses Lake. I would start anew. I lived in shitty dorms, a less than fulfilling house for a while, worked at Starbucks and a lumber yard and made some interesting friends to say the least. I had to tone down my fire with a lot of people since I was reminded that outside of military life, people are quite soft. What's wrong with fuzzy handcuffs? I found myself in conflict quite often being immersed in a social group made up of immaturity. I never thought being in a small town like this would actually be as bad as the stories I've heard.
Leading up to the final few weeks of school was quite stressful in a way I've never experienced before. I've been through the stress of war a few times, creating, running, building and selling a successful business, traveled, moved, broken hearts, had mine broken too often yet the end of this part of my life is a monster all in it's own. There've been people along the way of course but at the very end of it all I was left with one thing... Me. My life started again today at about 12:45 in the afternoon. I finished my math final and was truly able to enjoy within myself what I just accomplished. This is where is hasn't quite hit me.
I'm sticking around town more so as a courtesy at my job but also to be able to tie up loose ends with the school before I leave for good. A funny thing I realized in the last few hours is that most the people I have lived my life around for the past two years I will probably never see again. A select handful of people could probably care less about me or where I go but for the mere acquaintances I've made, very few have shown an interest to be reminiscent with me about the time we've spent. I understand it's partly because a good majority of people still have some time to do here but either way, I feel the full effect of where I stand with people in my life.
It's on to greener pastures. I'm sure some baggage will find it's way to me somehow but I have to start building a life. Again. I'm not at a point where I have to stay still anymore. As I begin my walk I shall do it alone. It's my happy place. My last adventure was to accomplish something specific. My next adventure has to be to accomplish something greater than ordinary. I will not accept less than amazing friendships and relationships and I will stand my ground even more.
It's time to clean house. Friends that have proven where they want to stand in my life, as well as all the crap I've acquired along the way.
