Goodbye Provisions.

I can't believe it's over. I promised myself I wouldn't cry.

I lied.

Oh don't get me wrong, I did good for most of the day. Right up until the end, in fact. It felt like every other Friday, until John (the owner) hugged me goodbye. Then it started sinking in.

Not long after, Ian (my supervisor) told me I could go ahead and leave. He shook my hand and gave me a hug... and then the tears started to well up. I did a pretty good job holding them back while I gathered my things and said my brief farewells.

Out the door and into my car, and I couldn't stop it.

I didn't know it was going to be this hard to leave my job. I cried all the way home. I've still got a lump in my throat. On the drive I couldn't help but think, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? Why are you putting yourself through this?"

Because I have to. That's the only thing I can think of. I don't know why, other than it's time to grow. I've mastered this job and this phase of my life. It's time for something new, but... it hurts.

I'm going to miss those guys. It was a great job and I grew a lot there. In fact I grew up there. Eight years in a place will change a person, and you get attached. If you're lucky they become like family.

I'm eternally grateful to John, Ian and my coworkers at Provisions for... well, everything. Gods willing, I'll be back to say "Hello" from time to time. I hope they know just how much they mean to me.

Crunch Time

It's hard to believe in just a few days I will be leaving my job, and in another couple of weeks I will be leaving New York.

Whoa.

I'm really not surprised that I'm feeling all of these mixed emotions, but still... it's a lot to take in. While I'm incredibly excited about it all, sure, there's a little bit of sadness too.

I'm gonna miss those guys.

Few people can say that they love their job, and I count myself as one of the lucky ones. It's gong to be hard to say goodbye, and really it hasn't completely sunk in yet. It better soon though. I've only got 4 days left to go.

There's still so much to do yet. The packing is mostly done, and there's still a ton of stuff in the house that I just need to get rid of.

Not to mention the ever-growing list of things I need to do... turn off the utilities, the cable, turn in my post office box keys, track down some dry ice for the freezer...  and the list goes on.

And then there's trying to squeeze in time with all of my amazing New York friends, and family. Can't I just scoop them all up and take them with me?

Time is getting short and there will be a lot happening in a small amount of time. I will try my very best to keep you all in the loop as it happens. Or at the very least shortly thereafter.

Stay tuned!

Parsley For Periods

Sorry guys, this one's for the ladies. Seriously T.M.I. alert.

From the Kitchen Witch files, I have a tip to help mother nature along when she's (not so fashionably) late.

Parsley tea.

This can come in handy when your normally regular schedule is unexpectedly lagging behind, you want to hurry your cycle along by a day or two, or typically have trouble getting your period to start... period.

Parsley is in a class of herbs called an "emmenagogue," meaning that it stimulates menstruation. It's mild, and works like a charm (when pregnancy is not the cause for the delay.)

Quick Tip: Coconut Oil for Shaving

For a while now I've been using coconut oil to shave. It works so well, I'll never buy that weird shaving foam stuff again. Here's why:

1) It's natural! No chemicals. No need to worry about sulfates, parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals.

2) It's cruelty-free. Vegan. No animal ingredients, and you don't have to worry about it being tested on animals.

3) Super close shave. No razor burn! That's especially important in those more sensitive areas where you want a close shave without the red bumps.

Shaking It Up

Well this has been a curious week.

I'm on countdown to my next trip to Knoxville on Tuesday. I still don't know whether I'll have the day off work so I can leave in the morning, or if I'll have to wait until after work. It's gonna be a busy week, taking care of car insurance, the DMV, banking, and all that other fun grown-up type stuff.

More puzzle pieces have come together over the last week, totally shaking up what I thought my life might look like in Knoxville. As it's been from the start, I'm following my gut and my heart (hey, that rhymed!) I'm just letting the gods guide me to whatever and wherever I'm supposed to be. They seem to have led me to an interesting place as of late.

I'm hesitant to say too much about it yet, so as not to jinx it. I promise to fill in the gaps when I get back from Knoxville next week. It just feels so strange to think I might be getting everything I've always wanted, and that it's just on the horizon.

And really, that's all I have to say about that...