"Country Roads Take Me Home"

Although it's not yet been confirmed, it looks like we're finally headed back to our hometown — the suburbs outside of Atlanta — after a six year absence, which saw a lot of our friends getting married, having kids or going to jail. Sometimes, all three.

Stacey was tentatively offered a post-doctoral position with a university counseling center (pending approval from their Human Resources dept.), and we should know within 24 hours whether the offer is officially on the table. The HR screening, as I understand it, is little more than a minor checkpoint to ensure that no "undesirables" are hired. Seeing as how Stacey is very desirable, I can't see how they'd pass on her.

When we blew town in the summer of 2000, we were two kids who'd been dating a while, but were still unsure of our future together. We return, married for several years with a child, a car payment, student loan debt and a road-weary dog in tow.

Prior to today's welcomed news, there was a possibility that we could have stayed put as Stacey's current employer might have ponied up and offered her a full-time position upon fulfillment of her internship. Knowing that we're leaving in a few months, though, makes putting up with the-20-minute-drive-to-anywhere a bit more tolerable. Besides, apart from trips to the grocery store or the mall, you're almost guaranteed at least 20 minutes in the car while driving in Atlanta traffic.

We aren't sure yet where we'll be living next year — maybe shacked up with Stacey's parents, if we can sneak in one night and hole ourselves up before they can kick us out — but eliminating one uncertainty from our status next year has lifted a ton of bricks off of our shoulders.

These past nine months have been fun and tough at the same time. On the positive side, we have an unbelievably generous hookup on rent payments (I'm actually ashamed to put the figure in print), but it's easy to feel isolated out here in the woods. Plus, 95 percent of our stuff is stored in Atlanta in a relative's basement as this house was furnished when we moved in.

I will certainly miss living on the lake, but it sure will be nice to be living in the same city as our furniture again.