“I gotta have roots before branches. To know who I am, before I know who I wanna be. And faith to take chances, to live like I see. A place in this world for me.”
Most of the time I think of myself as growing up in Vermont.
Because, technically, I did. I spent 18 years there. I grew into a young woman. I graduated from high school there. I had my first job, and my first car there.
But as I sit here, potentially 27 days away from leaving Maine (!!!!), I come to realize that I actually grew up in Maine.
I graduated from both my undergraduate and graduate programs here. I had my first apartment, first love, first heartbreak, first medical crisis here. I survived on nothing by ramen noodles and the support of my best friend. I had jobs that challenged me, and changed my life (and hopefully the lives of others, too). I met my husband here, got married, and faced some of the darkest days of my life here. I’ve come through stronger, older, wiser. More broken, but also more put together.
I have spent today making lists of things to do. Rooms to pack. People to say goodbye to. People that have shaped the woman, professional, person, and social worker I am today. Tears spring to my eyes whenever I think about it. I am so grateful for all of them. The ones who mentored me, and the ones that grew up with me. Look how far we’ve come.
Thank you for my roots, Vermont and Maine. You gave me a foundation strong enough to take this leap into the unknown and know that I will be okay.
**Lyrics by Room for Two, “Roots Before Branches”
