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Apologies for the radio silence! I've been running around the country (okay, just Michigan and DC) like a maniac this past week. This is the first chance I've had to actually sit down and write. Or even take a breath really. I'm so desperate for groceries, last night I had to eat nachos made of stale chips and string cheese. It was either that or applesauce for dinner.

I haven't been back to my home state since 2013, so this trip has been slightly overdue. I had a travel voucher that was about to expire (because basically anytime I fly, I bitch to the customer service reps to get free shit) so I decided to book a somewhat last-minute trip to Michigan for a long weekend.

Did you guys know you can randomly be assigned TSA PreCheck? I always thought it was something those rude and rushed businessmen applied for because they're much more important than everyone else. But this lucky girl got to keep her shoes on at the security screening! Also, I guess having PreCheck on your boarding pass means you can slip through security with a full 32oz water bottle and not get tackled and tazed (tased? whatever). Whoops. Shout out to Homeland Security's finest!

After I got something healthy to eat McDonald's, I didn't even have to look for my departing gate - I just followed all the people wearing camo. Not kidding. After a very turbulent flight (guys, thanks for not telling me about the tornado sirens), I arrived!

I grew up in Michigan. For 22 years it was really the only home I've ever known. So it was weird to be back and only vaguely remember road names and where they led to. I had to remind myself that the endless miles of green grass and trees is normal. I didn't realize how much I missed that. This was also my first time not staying in the home I grew up in (thanks for housing my broke ass, Sarah!). I've been living in DC for four years now and somewhere along the way, DC became my home. And that makes me sad. I have a very hard time leaving people and places behind, so Michigan will always have a very special place in my heart.

Basically I can sum up my entire trip with this: I ate a lot. 

When I first moved to DC, I hated it. I fought it for a year and a half, and now that I've stopped I've realized how great it is. Driving down the George Washington Parkway at night and seeing the monuments across the Potomac never ceases to take my breath away. It's not Michigan, but it's beautiful in it's own way.

Things change and we adapt to survive. We evolve. Things that you thought would always stay the same can change in an instant. It's jarring and it sucks and it's never easy. I guess the trick is to just let it happen. Let yourself evolve. Don't be afraid to let go of whatever you thought was a security - regardless of whether it's a person or a place. Go somewhere new. Be alone. Open your mind up to the idea that something different doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad. You're so much stronger than you think you are. All you need is you, so quit holding yourself back.