Too many people misunderstand the term "A fresh start." It doesn't mean you get to start your life over completely and ditch the one you had. It means experiencing new things and trying to improve the quality of your existence. Moving is very different from running away.
Moving to New Orleans meant packing my emotional baggage along with my personal belongings. Since 2007, I lost a best friend to a drunk driving accident, a close aunt to breast cancer, and my mother was diagnosed with that same disease the day my aunt passed away. Shit happens, and it wasn't going to disappear just because I left Chicago.
It doesn't matter how far you move, you need to face the facts in every state and every country. If you don't, that "fresh start" you're trying to get will never happen. People assume that their current location is the reason for the problems in their life. That's crap. We are all in control of how we choose to cope with things and move on. Where you live, should not define you or make you believe that it's why your life sucks sometimes.
We all know that sunshine and warm weather is way better than rain and freezing temperatures. Duh. I don't doubt that people who live in warmer climates are generally happier. They don't endure rough winters that sometimes inflict seasonal depression, and they can spend a lot more time outdoors. I have experienced this warm weather bliss since moving to Louisiana. It's fantastic.
Still, it doesn't mean that I have suddenly forgotten about the things I have been trying to cope with. Accepting that they are still a part of my life has made moving on both mentally and physically easier. When you close your eyes and imagine living in a tropical climate, wearing shorts and flip-flops all year, and laying pool side in February, remember that every fantasy has to have to reality. Otherwise, our entire lives would never feel real.
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