Here’s the thing. When you move somewhere new, you make new friends. Thankfully, I have my lovely PM here in Greenville, who is not only my CEO, but also a very good (and hilarious) friend. And somehow, I also have the amazing MG, who I met through 33V and is pretty dang awesome as well.

We’ve gotten to know people at our nearby restaurants (Hi Mills! Hi Rebecca!), and people in random settings (hey Susan! And Allison! And Joe! And Bill and Bryan!), and in general, people here are pretty friendly. (They don’t seem to smile as much as Texans, but they’re still very nice.)

But I miss my old pals. On Fridays, I miss that knowledge that we’d probably see my friends TH and AR, and that we’d wander to our regular haunts, where the bartenders know our orders and the steak frites are perfect. I miss knowing that if I just needed a hug from my mom and dad, they were only a few hours’ drive away. I miss that if needed, I could text LR and get support and meet up for tea and hugs and friendship. I miss walking out my door and waving to my neighbors; going to the grocery store and having the staff ask about my mom’s tamales; going to my old-school pharmacy/soda fountain and having the pharmacist hand me my prescription before I even say my name. I miss being known.

There is fun and adventure in a new city – corners to find, tiny restaurants to discover, walks to be taken, neighbors to meet – but it takes a while for there to be a sense of Home.

Thankfully, I have all my cookbooks, and my little black cat, and most importantly, my base/anchor/heart – my husband. If you know him at all, you know that he is stubbornly positive and hopeful, annoyingly optimistic, and so generous with love and support.

And he reminds me – we have only been in South Carolina ONE MONTH. Even though it feels like it’s been months and months since I’ve had a margarita at Matt’s or heard my best friend’s laughter, it’s only been one month. It will get easier, and Greenville will bloom and grow in my heart, and one day, I’ll walk into my nearby coffee shop, and they’ll know my order and ask about my mom’s tamales. One day soon.