It's Real.

When we were driving through Los Angeles last weekend we saw a decal on a car's rear window. It included some profanity so I won't repeat it for you here but part of it read "...It's Real". 
Today I taught my last little class.
Then I finished cleaning out my classroom and cubicle; I recycled/shredded SO much. There were papers from my first year of teaching six years ago; can you say "pack rat"?

That's a cleaned out cubicle.

I rushed out to meet some friends for adios coffee and then rushed back to school so I could do the deed and turn in my computer and keys.

That's an empty mailbox.

Then I realized that this is Real. Hence the title of the post. Everything had felt normal, kind of, up until now. We had moved before and summer happens every year but I had never, ever, turned in my keys!


I was lucky enough to then have lunch with some other friends and it was sad. I've done so much with these ladies in the past years and grown so much, personally and professionally, with them around me. I know that there are wonderful things to come for us but I want to acknowledge, at least here and for me, that I have made fabulous friends and gained amazing experience.
Then I went to my grandmother's house with the intention of sorting through some of our stuff and ended up napping instead. Oh well, it happens. I woke up smelling something lovely and when I finally opened my eyes I saw exactly what it was.
My grandmother, my love, picked my favorite flowers, gardenias, and left a few blooms next to me.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I'm going to miss so much; friends, family, weather, work, good restaurants, to name a few. But not having casual afternoons hanging out at the house and little gestures like this bouquet is going to leave quite a void in my life.

We are about to begin a Big New Part of our lives and though I'm sad to leave I am also really excited; for what we will do and where we will live and our many {many!} upcoming years and experiences together. Ready? Set? Go!
xoxo, natty ♥