I'm No Nomad

Earlier today I went downtown,

found a bench, sat down, looked around,

& realized I didn't know anyone.

I'm a stranger, surrounded by strangers, in this strange land.

I scurried home not long after that thought crossed my mind,

my tail tucked between my legs. 

Seemingly on a whim

I find myself in this little town called Sequim. 

It'll surely take a while to get used to this place.

* * * * * * *

A map of the Puget Sound is on the wall of my new room.

My hometown is completely out of sight,

on the opposite side of the state...

The smell of the once distant ocean drifts through the window.

Fear of the unknown comes in waves, some stronger than others.

A barge makes its presence known in the night.

The horn blast reverberates atop the water, the sand,

& then echoes across the land on which I know reside. 

There's no denying: I was scared to come here. 

I'm a stick in the mud, a creature of habit -

Change just isn't my thing. 

& yet change is everything.
Change is the only constant.

How can we grow without letting go of our fears?

With that said, I can't lie (believe me, I've tried),

my confidence doesn't travel well.

Hell, it often runs dry.

Over my 22 years, I've relied on others to remind me who I am.

I will miss those friends more than anything...

But this isn't goodbye, it's only "til next time."

Thanks to them, I don't have to begin again.

I'm beyond fortunate; I really do have it made.

I may now be in a different place,

but it's still the same face looking back at me in the mirror.

This move has made one thing clear:

This house may or may not become my home,

but I, alone, must become my own comfort zone.

Happiness derives from within.