Carolina Dreaming

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Facing uncertainty can be a challenge that’s hard to accept. Leaping with faith may be the remedy that you need to move forward. Never underestimate the power of a question or the lessons you can gain from it.

It was two and a half years in the making. I was an older single college student in New Jersey with a child and a dream of moving to a new state or country. I’ve always wanted to see the world for the beauty it contains and learn about different cultures. There was one problem: I was co-parenting my daughter with her father. That was going to be a hurdle. They had a good relationship and he was present in her life. How do I do this? How do I ask to move out of the state, let alone follow my travel goals? I thought it couldn’t hurt if I asked. If I didn’t ask, I would never forgive myself.

I leaped with faith and asked my ex about moving out of the state with our child. To my surprise, he wondered how it would work. That was fantastic for me. He didn’t say no. I explained that she could spend summers with him and visit for spring and winter breaks. He agreed that it was fine under one condition: I couldn’t move to another country while she was still under the age of 18. I agreed. Months passed and my graduation was coming up. Slowly, I sold my belongings and bought a townhome in North Carolina. My last exam was a relief. I handed it to the professor, went to my daughter’s school to pick her up, and boarded the plane for my new adventure. My leap of faith paid off.