As  I realize that I will be on my way to Houston in less than ten days, it seems as though there is a whole lot chaos going on. However, as I notice the difficulties being faced by those around me- family, friends, patients- I recognize that my problems are minute and there is nothing of real significance that is currently causing me distress. In fact, the worries that I do have are solely in my own mind. I am concerned for my loved ones, I feel sadness about leaving behind my beautiful life, and I am simply nervous about the unknown of my life in the coming weeks and months. There is undeniable comfort in the fact that I am not experiencing this alone, but it is also true that no one else can truly understand what I am experiencing without having gone through it themselves.

Don’t get me wrong- I am filled with gratitude at the thought that I am doing this for love. But even love, however worth it it may make everything, is still a risk. I once read somewhere that love is giving someone the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to. There’s no denying that that is a scary thought, and I know there is a lot of negativity that I or anyone else can find around us, but I also know that there is an abundance of positivity in the meaningful things that truly matter; as long as I am doing my best, I have to trust the universe with the rest. Right now, I think the most important thing I can do is try to make these last few days of my life here some of the most memorable- to cherish each moment I have with my loved ones and fully take in the breathtaking amazingness of my life here in Atlanta.

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.” -Leo Buscaglia