Back to Jax

The hubby and I lived in Jacksonville, FL for six years- seemingly six long years. The early part of our marriage was riddled with problems. One might say stubbornness, persistence, and/or a general lacking of wanting to admit we made a mistake kept it going. We left Jax behind with very little looking back purely because it held so many raw memories for us. I left behind a few good friends whom I still miss dearly and some good memories but for the most part, it was rather ugly.

I have only been back on one prior occasion which was into Jacksonville airport on our way to a wedding on Jekyll Island. After the wedding, we drove back early and spent an evening in the city checking out some of our old haunts along the way. It was nice to revisit; yet having been only a couple of short years since the move still fostered some negative energy.

Now, I have had the chance to return yet again over twelve years later and found the experience to be far more pleasant. Driving down certain streets, I could see all the changes that had occurred immediately; however so much seemed the same. In a moment of simply clarity, I realized it was like looking at myself. In many ways, I can't even remember the person I was when I first got married and moved to Jax. I feel like a completely different person. And then there are the parts of me in which I feel haven't changed a bit and probably won't no matter how hard I or anyone else tries. I had no idea who I was or what I wanted out of life when I got married at the ripe old age of twenty. It is rather nice to be able to look back and see how I've grown as a person while still maintaining many of the unique qualities that make me me just as it was nice to go back and see how the city I once resented looked so very different yet still seemed liked home.