Sunset on Tucson

Good Morning -

Oh, I'm distractable this morning. After deciding to name this blog "Sunset on Tucson" because of the image, I got "Sunset on Lousianne" by Zachary Richard (said with a french accent because he's Cajun) in my head. It's a beautiful song and speaks of a relationship with a place, but with a wholly different sentiment for the place than the one I have in my heart for Tucson.

Thinking of this leaving song made me think of other leaving songs and I remembered the time I left Colorado ten and a half years ago to live in San Antonio with the woman who was my friend, then my more than that, and then my that again, and then my less than that.

We both worked at the best bookstore in the world and I had been trying to save money on my $5.50/hr paycheck so I could move to either Portland, Ore or NYC. I believe(d) that everyone should live a year in NYC and Portland I found a perfect mix of mountains, oceans, and good beverages. She had been in Colorado to marry a man that she then broke engagement to (but has, apparently, since married. Fascinating.), which lead to her old job in San Antonio inviting her back to work, complete with a paid-for move.

She suggested that, instead of Portland or NYC, I move to San Antonio with her because the move was paid for by her company and it's a great place and we'd have such fun and her family was there.

I agreed, and in a month was in a Uhaul, towing her car loaded up with four cats and a parrot the 933 miles to San Antonio.

She had all sorts of questions in her heart but I was mostly in shock that, after 25 years, I was leaving Colorado to live in a totally new place. She played "Texas in My Rear View" over and over, which wasn't wholly appropriate since Texas was actually in our front view, but then it turns out there was more than song-choice that didn't quite add up about this woman.

Lessons learned. Lessons learned.

Here's to that. Here's to soundtracks that match the moment. Here's to leaving songs. Here's to beginning songs. Here's to lessons learned through moving.