An unexpected downside...

Not to be all Negative Nancy, but it can be really hard to live so far away when the people you love need you.

Just saying.

I never really considered the distance when we decided we wanted to ask to move here. I mean sure, I knew it was far. Don’t get me wrong – of course I knew it was a long, expensive flight. But I haven’t lived in The Second City since I was 18 years old. I was back for summers and school breaks, and goodness knows I’ve earned more than my fair share of miles making the trip to and fro, but I’m used to not being there all the time. It’s not foreign to require a plane ride or even a veryveryvery long drive to see the place where it all began and the people who made it happen. “What’s a different kind of plane, a different airport code, a different choice of airlines,” I thought. I mean heck, you don't get fed either way.

It never bothered me until very recently. Turns out that different airport code is actually a way bigger difference than just three little letters.

Random Trivia: NONE of the airports surrounding my previous homes have included the letters H, N, or L. Funny.

It not only takes the better part of two days (given that I lose 4-6 hours in transit, depending on the time zone we’re talking about and whether it’s Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time), but it’s a LOT more expensive AND involves taking leave from my job – which makes the trip difficult for all but the most emergent situations. I’m hard-pressed to be able to find a direct flight. Driving is no longer an option, no matter how proud I am of my bladder of steel or how good The Good.Sport's superhuman staying awake powers might be. So times when I’d normally hop a 2-hour, $200 flight for the weekend (leaving on a Friday after work and coming back Sunday evening) or hop in the car for a scheduled arrival 12 hours later – these are now times when I end up sitting by the phone, sending care packages, and waiting for updates.

Lucky for me, prayers know no distance and have the ability to be at their destination before the FedEx plane even makes it back to Memphis.