It was my sophomore year of college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX and I had only lived in Lubbock about a year and a half. I really enjoyed being in school and had an amazing group of friends. Everything was going great in my life.
My major at the time was Electrical Engineering/Computer Science. I enjoyed what I was learning in my classes but was seriously considering switching to a Business major. I was at that point in my life that most everyone gets to, where you have no idea what you want to do. There are the lucky few who probably knew in elementary school what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives, but that was not me.
At the time I lived with two of my friends in a house. The house was in a perfect location only a few blocks from campus. I would usually drive to school because I was lazy, but if I wanted to I could ride my bike or walk. I was also working at a local bank part time to pay for my rent, food, and frequent outings with friends. Life was good and I was very happy with where I was at.
Then one day, Friday to be exact, I had this crazy idea to move to Colorado.
Move to Colorado? Why would I want to do that?
To tell you the truth I have no idea why this idea popped into my head. I had not just watched some movie about Colorado or heard a friend talking about it. It was just all of a sudden. The idea didn’t include some fantasy of what my life would be like in Colorado, only that I would move there.
Moving to Colorado made no sense at all for me. I had a great life where I was in Lubbock. I had friends, was going to school, and had a job I enjoyed. Moving to Colorado would mean starting all over again. Besides that, I was completely unfamiliar with Colorado. The only times I had been there was on ski trips in high school.
This idea to move consumed my mind. I really wanted to go. I felt like I was supposed to go.
Before I made my final decision I thought I should discuss it with my parents. I was going home anyway that weekend and thought it would be a good idea to think it over for a few days.
My parents lived in Wichita Falls, TX which is about a 3 hour drive from Lubbock. I left Friday evening. My time in the car was spent getting even more excited about moving. And becoming even more sure that it was what I had to do.
But what would my parents say? Would they be completely dismissive of the idea?
My parents were not usually that way. They would usually support the decisions that I made. But this was a big decision. I was dropping out of college.
Over the weekend all I could think about was my new journey. I would be living each day with out knowing what would happen next. I would meet new people and live in a place I knew nothing about.
A little to my surprise my parents supported me in my new adventures. They asked me lots of questions to make me really think things through. I never had a single doubt that this is what I was supposed to do.
I left Wichita Falls Sunday afternoon heading back to Lubbock and had a feeling of freedom and excitement. It was a feeling that I had never felt before and for the first time in my life I knew with no doubt in my mind that this is what I was supposed to do.
“I am really going to do this!”
As I approached Lubbock the sun had just set. From a distance I could see the glow of the city lights. For a brief moment I was sad to be leaving Lubbock and all my friends there. But then my excitement returned.
Now all I had to do was wrap things up in Lubbock and get on the road to Colorado.
To be continued… Read Part 2
