Travelin' On.

I have lived in Natchitoches for 10 years. This university, the people I have met and love, and the time I have spent here have shaped who I am as an artist, a teacher, a person -- the last ten years of my life have impacted every facet of who I am and who I thought I was, but more importantly, they has shaped who I want to become. Nothing could ever replace my time here. But.

We are moving to Ohio.

I cannot tell you about all of the tiny details that have lead up to this decision for the both of us, but I can tell you that this is the second biggest and most life changing decision I have ever made. We have made this decision with an incredible amount of confidence and hopefulness, and of course, sadness.


We will certainly miss
a lot of things.
People, places, experiences, and I will definitely miss my university. Good times or bad times, I will always be an NSU Demon at heart. I came here as a band geek (color guard!!) my junior year of high school. I met my soul mate that summer. My best friend from high school accompanied me to NSU, and we studied theatre together.


This was one of the most memorable periods of my life. I met people with personalities that still stay with me to this day...I tried new things, I messed things up, I met more incredible people as I began to study art at NSU, and I met yet ANOTHER person who showed me that family had nothing to do with blood. And then things really picked up. I grew into my 20's, I dated, I learned to drive (finally!) and I tried to make a difference in some kind of way. I think that I did. I don't think that I would still be here otherwise. I don't think that I would have so much love for this place.

Then came graduation after graduation. My Natchitoches family continued to grow. My Natchitoches family spread out. I started teaching in the very department that helped shape me. I met the love of my life. Now he is here with me, and about to take this giant leap with me. I cannot express what that means to me. All I know is that I have never loved anyone with greater clarity than I do him.





So, what is happening exactly?
I was accepted into the Visual Communication Design MFA program at Kent State University this summer. After an incredible visit earlier this year, it was an easy decision to apply. Trey is entering the BFA program for Crafts in the School of Art at Kent. He will have the opportunity to further his studies in textiles and crafts in a way that I know he is really ecstatic about. I am really excited for him. He about dyed (LOL!) when he saw the textiles lab at Kent.

We will be leaving the state to relocate in late July. That may seem sudden, but so many things have lined up in order for this to be the right decision, that it's unignorable. Like fate, or divine planning, or luck, or...things just being right.

Though I am extremely excited for what is next in our lives, I know that my friends--my family here in this part of the country will be rooting for us and sad to see us go, but our love for all of you is greater than space and time! This certainly isn't goodbye. This place is our home. We have family in Leesville, Baton Rouge, and of course, Natchitoches.

Soon, we will have family at Kent.