{LinkAdventure Meets a Fork in the Road}

Well, hell-o!

My, it's been awhile.

I went from posting almost daily, at my most active blogger

moments, to not posting much at all in second half of 2012.

Why, you ask?

In the words of the great Bob Dylan, "The times they are a-changin'."

Yes, there's been an upheaval at LinkAdventure.

David and I have gone our separate ways.

Of course, this is not the platform for a open-hearted discussion about how and where

things went off the rails. No need to play the blame game or break out a score card.

It just is.

What I can tell you is this ...

I spent my entire adult life with David. We've been together since I was 21 -- just a baby!

Our almost 13 year relationship and eight years of marriage accounted for over a third of

my life.

Now, I am 34, soon-to-be officially divorced and single for the first time since I was 19.

Holy moly.

Together, D and I moved from Michigan to Texas to Arizona to Ireland and back to Arizona

again. My most recent move -- 30 miles away from our house in Chandler -- seemed like

the biggest transition of all.

It felt good and right to stay in Arizona though. It's home for me now. I found a quaint little

1950's rental house in the Historic District of downtown Phoenix.

Everyone wants to know what we've done with "the kids." Norah and Oliver are living with

me. Killian stayed with David. It was a hard choice for which there is no perfect solution.

We're all adjusting to it though.

I'm slowly getting settled and familiar with my new side of town. Moving out of the 'burbs

and into a more vibrant, artistic, eclectic city will be fun. There is so much to explore

and such a great deal of positive energy and motion up here. Plus, I'm super close to work,

which is amazing. I feel like I chose a really good spot, considering I had to make a move.

I've learned real change is messy, powerful, epiphany-filled, exciting, and

terrifying. "All great changes are preceded by chaos," said Deepak Chopra. My life must be preparing for a major renovation because, boy, has it ever been a place of amazing chaos!

Since May, I've been going through what I guess is "the process."

Crying

Denying

Grieving

Hoping

Crumbling

Feeling numb

Feeling anger

Drinking

Talking

Admitting

Letting go

Accepting

Reminiscing

Crying some more

Detaching

Planning

Evaluating

Moving as fast as possible so as to not think or feel

Attempting to concentrate (sometimes a seemingly monumental task)

Preparing

Feeling joy

Packing

And shopping -- lots and lots of shopping :)

There are still decisions to be made. Specifically, if I'll change my last name and what to do

with LinkAdventure. I started this blog six years ago when we moved to Ireland as a way

to share what we saw and did in the land of 40 Shades of Green. Since then, it's been a

chronicle of our current adventures -- big and small. I guess I'll get clarity on these things

in due time. I'll be sure to let you know when I get it sorted. :)

And with that, LinkAdventures evolves.

We got to a fork in the road and the decision was made to take different paths. Now,

David will make his life. I will make mine. Our journey together is coming to an end.

My new hope is this: We are individually better from our time on this Earth together. And because of who we helped each other become, we'll be able to accept happiness and the

possibilities that await each of us in the future.

Thanks for listening.

And D ... I'll always love you.